Aqours Again
by Ghost Aggron
Summary: It's been over 4 years since Aqours disbanded. Chika's life has become a monotonous and boring routine with her radiance held back by a curtain of reality. One day however, Mari sends out a letter to the ex-members of Aqours for a strange get-together. Will Chika be able to find the radiance she lost, or will this story end in despair?
1. Chapter 1: Where We Are Now

Aqours Again

WARNING:

Contains serious topics and potentially unpleasant or disturbing descriptions, don't read this if you are sensitive to these topics or have any issues with them.

Also contains massive spoilers for Love Live Sunshine and to an extent the original series.

Read at your own discretion.

Chapter 1: Where We Are Now

It had been years since Aqours had disbanded and Uranohoshi was closed down. With heavy hearts, the girls parted and went off to college to achieve their futures. Some however had their own occupations to attend to, with Kanan becoming the owner of her father's shop. It had been ages since the words "Aqours" was said, although the community had felt such an impact from Aqours that the school building was preserved for their honor and memory.

The light rain fell onto the top of Chika's hoodie, sliding gently down the sides of her head. Hands in pockets, she walked wordlessly alone staring down at the pavement. Along the way she stopped in front of the old school she had made so many memories of, gazing sadly at the partially faded sign that still read "Uranohoshi". She had made this a daily routine of this, almost religiously giving her thanks for the happy memories. So much had happened since then. Although she never went to college, she had started two part time jobs; she worked at her family's business as well as helped collect the mikans for the locals. As she came to the front of her house, she saw Shiitake sleeping soundly in his doghouse. A light smile came over her face as she lightly stroked his head.

"I'm home." Chika calmly said as she took off her shoes and let herself in. Mito was sitting alone in the kitchen texting away on her phone. Chika went to the fridge and went to look for a pudding cup.

"Did you eat the last pudding cup, Mito?"

"Huh?"

Chika sighed. "I'll take that as a yes."

A light smile crossed Mito's face. "You used to get so mad about that. When did you become so mellow?"

Chika went to her room and checked her phone. You hadn't texted yet. Chika wasn't surprised, You had kept herself busy going off to college and eventually coming back home to help Kanan with her business as a full time employee. Admittedly she was a bit jealous, the two of them were always going scuba diving and getting to spend hours at a time on boats. Chika knew she was a bit envious of You, but she was happy all the same that she'd made something for herself. Chika fell back in her bed with an arm over her face, listening to the soft sound of raindrops on the roof.

" _I used to be so energetic. So lively. So...happy with life."_ She thought to herself. " _Am I really happy like this?"_ Through her window she could vaguely hear a cover of "Let It Be" next door. Riko had started a Youtube channel where she sung covers and songs usually that had piano in them, and was doing surprisingly well in terms of subscribers and views. Riko would play it down that they were just a result of Aqours popularising her, but Chika never thought that to be true...well, for the most part. It was probably an influence from Yoshiko's streaming; Riko would sometimes display a bit of Yoshiko in her personality too. Yoshiko had stopped streaming about a month or so after Aqours disbanded; nobody had been able to keep in touch with her except Ruby, who Chika had lost touch with herself. Aside from Kanan, Riko and You, everyone else was...gone. She only physically saw Kanan again when she came back from college.

The sound of rain started to fade away. Chika glanced at her nightstand and saw a book she had rented a while back.

"AAH! I forgot that was due today!" Chika glanced at the clock. The library closed in 15 minutes or so. Grabbing the book, she booked it out of her room and out the front door.

"Chika what are you in such a hurry for?" called Mito.

"BOOK! RETURN! CLOSES SOON! GOTTA GO!"

Holding the book tightly under her arm, she dashed down the street.

"The pavement's wet! Don't run you idiot!" Mito called after her. "*sigh* Shiitake, what are we gonna do with her?" Shiitake gave a bark in reply.

The warm damp air blew against Chika's face as she hurtled towards the library. She almost slipped as she made a sharp turn at the entrance. She burst into the library and slammed the book on the desk.

"IS IT TOO LATE!?" she yelled. The startled receptionist leaned back a bit in her seat.

"N-No, we're still open for another 12 minutes. Also, this is a library so if you could refrain from making a ruckus…"

"O-Oh, sorry…" Chika said rubbing the back of her head. "I'm here to return this book."

"Alright...and your name?"

"Chika Takami."

"Chika-Chan?" came a familiar voice from behind her. Turning around she saw a light brown haired girl with black leggings holding a book in her arms. Chika could remember that face anywhere.

"H-HANAMARU!?" She yelled in shock. Hanamaru shushed her aggressively.

"Ueh! S-Sorry." A smile grew across Hanamaru's face as she gave Chika a big bear hug.

"It's been forever! How've you been?"

"Pretty ok I guess. I didn't know you came to this library!"

"I'm on vacation with my grandparents here. They were looking to have a small vacation without too much travel, so I suggested here! Actually I'd be happy to introduce them to you, we can even get lunch together! Actually, would you like to now, zura?"

"I didn't have any plans for today, so I'm happy to come along!"

* * *

Chika stood outside Hanamaru's hotel room patiently as the voices of Hanamaru and her grandparents were heard faintly inside. Eventually Hanamaru opened the door.

"Gramma, Grandpa, this is Chika! She's the girl who led the idol group I was in during High School!" Hanamaru's grandmother resembled Hanamaru except older, having similar colored hair with a little grey here and there. Her grandfather was surprisingly tall with a haircut that reminded her of a meme she saw a while back of a blond guy singing in a high pitch voice. This accompanied by a beard made him quite the character.

"Nice the meet you both!" Chika said with a bow.

"The pleasure's all mine." Said Hanamaru's grandmother sweetly. "Thank you so much for letting my granddaughter have fun with your group."

"No problem at all! In fact I'm super glad she was able to join us!" Hanamaru smiled and rubbed the back of her head bashfully.

"So Hana, where do you plan to go?" her grandfather said with a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Grampa, I told you not to call me that around other people!"

"Hana? I've never heard anyone call you that before!" Chika said with a bit of a smirk.

"You like it? I came up with it myself!" Her granddad said with pride. "It's an adorable name for my adorable granddaughter!"

"Grandpa!" complained Hanamaru, puffing out her cheeks in embarrassment.

Chika couldn't help but giggle a little.

* * *

"...and that's the story of how I almost destroyed the shed next to our house!" concluded Hanamaru's grandfather.

"A few more feet to the side and you might've been divorced right there and then, zura." Hanamaru said jokingly. They all shared a hardy laugh.

"I'm gonna go grab another drink, do you want anything?"

"Nah, I'm all good" Chika said as Hanamaru ran off with an empty tray.

"I'm really happy Hanamaru started to open up a bit with your idol band." Hanamaru's grandmother said when Hanamaru was out of earshot. "She's always been so reserved that I was worrying she wouldn't make any friends. Thankfully that wasn't the case."

"Well Ruby was also a positive influence, I think Ruby might have more an influence on her joining than anything."

"Actually...we lost track of Ruby ourselves. We tried to get Hanamaru a phone so they could stay in touch, but we had no clue how to use it. We just kept shutting the darn thing off and on a bunch."

" _As tech savvy as Hanamaru herself I see.._ " Chika thought to herself.

"We're from the country, so we're not big on technology." her granddad said, "The most modern device we have is the lamp in our living room!"

"Are her parents the same way?" asked Chika jokingly. There was an awkward silence. Both of Hanamaru's grandparents looked down at the table with pained expressions.

"When she was only 3, they still lived with us and had gone out for a dinner to have a break from childcare and all. On the way home they...were both killed in a car crash when a drunk driver hit them head on. Not even that driver survived the crash." Her granddad rested his hand on her grandmother's hand.

"I...I never knew, I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, I didn't expect her to talk about it. She doesn't like bringing it up either. But let's not ruin the day with a sad feeling, let's just pretend we never brought this up alright?" Chika nodded doing her best to put on a smile.

* * *

"Well thank you for taking us out to eat, I'm always happy to meet new folks." her grandmother said cheerfully.

"I had a good time too! Oh, Hanamaru want me to how to use your phone?"

"I've spent hours trying to listen to people explain it to me but it's never made sense to me." Chika folded her arms and puzzled for a second.

"Aha! I got it! Mind if I stop by here tomorrow with something? Also can I borrow your phone?"

"Where are you going with this, zura?"

"It's a secret for now!" Chika said winking and sticking her tongue out.

"Well I'm certainly not going to use it if you can't help with it so I might as well." Chika borrowed her phone and put it in her pocket. She gave them a wave goodbye and took off towards home.

"Hope to see you all soon!" she called out. Her granddad gave a big grin and her grandmother gave a warm smile, both of them waving goodbye.

"Same Chika as always, zura."

* * *

"...so that's how I met Hanamaru today!" Chika concluded.

"That's quite a coincidence." commented You. "Hey, maybe you could bring me along too so I can meet up too!" You and Kanan had finished their shifts, and the bay shone with an amber glow in the sunlight. They were out on the porch happily chatting with Chika like they had her Sophomore year and earlier. Kanan sat at one end of the table and You sat next to Chika.

"How long is she staying here?" Kanan asked curiously.

"A week or so I think. I offered to help her out with her phone so I'm going to make something tonight to help her out!"

"Careful not to exhaust yourself Chika, you don't want to ruin your sleep schedule."

"I'll be fine, there's no need for you to worry about me Kanan!"

"Fine fine, but if you exhaust yourself don't blame me!" You giggled a bit.

"Perhaps tomorrow I can treat them to my special Yakisoba!"

"Nobody knows how to make Yakisoba like you and your dad after all!" You scratched the back of her head laughing.

"You're making me blush!"

Kanan smiled at the two of them briefly until her phone buzzed. She looked at the sender's name, which read "Mari Ohara".

"Who's that from?" Chika asked curiously.

"Oh, me and Mari have been texting each other back and forth pretty consistently lately. If you want I can get you her number."

"Yeah! I haven't talked to Mari in ages, It would be nice to catch up like with Hanamaru!" As Kanan opened the text message her smile faded. The look on her face reminded Chika of back when Kanan refused to rejoin Aqours, so she knew something was up.

"Kanan?" asked You with a concerned look.

"Mari just texted me this." She said, holding her phone out to let the two of them read it. It read: "I was thinking that perhaps we can gather the Aqours members and have a super shiny reunion to check in on all of us! Don't you think that I'd be great to see our old friends again?" Chika and You exchanged curious glances. They both knew the look on Kanan's face meant something was bound to happen soon and it wouldn't be smooth sailing.

* * *

Ruby stared out the window watching the sun set over the rural meadows and forests going by. Dia was fiddling with her phone next to her with a mix of emotions on her face. Yoshiko was passed out in the seat across. After Aqours was broken up, Dia, Ruby and Yoshiko had started a small business selling all sorts of art supplies and creations of their own. Yoshiko had come up with the idea herself, Dia becoming in charge of finances and Ruby becoming a full time employee. Juggling running the store and schoolwork, Yoshiko simply became too tired to keep up her streams and left to pursue her artistic passion. Ruby sighed, almost feeling compelled to pass out herself.

"Mari has something planned." Dia spoke up suddenly. "I have a feeling in my gut, and it doesn't like this one bit."

"You're not excited to see our old friends again?"

"Of course I'm happy to see everyone again but...I know Mari too well to believe she's telling us the full story. It's not that hard to tell what she really wants us to do."

"Dia, if your hunch is right...what are you going to do? If things go wrong I'm scared our friendship will be jeopardised. I doubt you wanna hurt her feelings anymore than I do."

Dia's expression was filled with worry. She sat perfectly still staring down at her feet wordlessly. Finally she turned and gave Ruby a pat on the head and a weak smile.

"I promise it'll be fine. This isn't like what happened when we were first years. We're all still friends of Mari's and I doubt that will ever change."

Ruby nodded, but she knew Dia was just trying to comfort her. She returned to staring out the window at the fading sunlight.

"Hey Dia, if you had the chance to become an idol again, would you take it?"

Dia kept silent.

* * *

Serenaded by the sounds of crickets, Chika, You, Riko and Kanan headed up the slope towards Mari's mansion. Kanan walked in front, arms folded and staring down at the ground in front of her lost in thought. The other three walked side by side chatting amongst themselves quietly.

"...I don't think we have anything to worry about. We're not going to go confront a gang or something, this is Mari we're talking about." You said with her arms behind her head.

"I'm mostly worried about Kanan. She's seemed lost in her whole little world all night."

"Riko, I'm sure Kanan doesn't wanna cause a scene. They haven't seen each other in person for years so it's not like Mari could continuously force her into doing something." You suddenly moved towards Chika and pulled the ends of her lips up into a smile.

"You-hah, whah ah you hoing!?" Chika mumbled.

"Come on, we're going to see our old friends again! There's no need to be getting ourselves down!"

Chika nodded with an encouraged smile.

"Yeah! Everyone from Aqours in one place, hanging out like old times! I'd been looking for some kind of thrill recently; I think this is just what I need to get my blood pumping again!" Chika started jogging in place while repeating "Hup! Hup! Hup!" to herself. You and Riko couldn't help but laugh a bit, with Chika joining in herself after a couple seconds. Kanan started to fall back with them.

"Sorry I've been such a downer. My whole mind was in the gutter thinking about Mari, but seeing you guys trying to lighten the mood…"

"That's a rather non-Kanan thing to say!" Commented Riko. "Usually once you make a decision you stick to it."

"Maybe I'm driving myself crazy over this whole thing."

"Ooooh, someone's excited to see Mari and can't think straight?"

"Oh knock it off Chika!" The 4 of them laughed as they came upon the entrance to Mari's new home. There was already a few cars parked near the entrance, including a black car they recognized as belonging to the Kurosawa family. There was a big fence and a large gate that lead to a fancy looking entrance. Chika pushed and pulled on the gate but it wouldn't budge.

"Chika, you have to use the little pager on the wall first."

"I-I knew that!" she said unconvincingly. Kanan buzzed it, and almost immediately a high pitch enthusiastic voice answered the call.

"Helloooooooooo!~ Who's Theeeeereeeee?"

"Mari, you know it's us. Everyone else has already shown up!" Gleeful laughter came from the other end of the pager, followed by the gates out front opening inward.

"This is the part where Hanamaru would say 'Mirai Zura' wouldn't it?" Kanan jested. The group headed up the front walkway to the front door, the family crest embossed in the doorknob. They hardly had the time to admire it anyway, as Mari threw open the door and practically tackled Kanan in a hug.

"Ooooo!~ Your boobs are just as big as I remember them!" Mari said playfully.

"I'll sue you."

"Come on inside, we got all sorts of snacks and stuff! Hurry, everyone's waiting!" Mari hugged the three of them one by one as they entered. They made their way to a large living space with all sorts of tables and foods on top of tables topped with a fancy maroon tablecloth.

"You certainly went all out." Riko commented towards Mari.

"You think so? I was worried it wasn't much." The three of them sighed, getting deja vu about her stewshine. Hanamaru was at one of the tables grabbing food, apparently getting seconds. Dia and Ruby sat next to each other watching the flat screen. Yoshiko was standing with her back to them in the center of the room. Upon noticing their arrival, she turned around.

"Welcome my little demons! At long last, we have returned from the depths of hell to join forces here in the mortal world! Now, let us commence the ceremony!" Yoshiko let her cap flutter dramatically at the end of her speech.

"So that's why Yoshiko was awkwardly standing by herself in the middle of the room, zura."

"YOHANE!"

Ruby waved to them, a smile spread across her face. Dia got up and followed behind. Ruby and Chika squeezed each other in a tight hug, and the others followed suit.

"I've missed you all so much!" Ruby said bouncing up and down joyfully.

"It's good to see your adorable face again!" Chika teased while fluffing the bottom of Ruby's pigtails. Ruby looked down with a bashful look on her face. Riko turned to Mari.

"So...what's the plan for tonight?"

"Eat food, stay up late and have fun!" Dia muttered something to herself, something about 'rich people are crazy' and 'I came all the way here for this disorganized mess'. The night went on, with Hanamaru stopping her devouring after getting fourths, watching several µ's dvd's and Ruby falling asleep. Dia rubbed her head as she slept on her lap. You and Chika were still wide awake dancing to the music, albeit starting to get a bit sloppy from exhaustion setting in. Kanan was putting her tray with the other dirty dishes when Mari tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey Kanan, could you come here for a second? There's something I wanna talk to you about." Kanan's expression turned more serious.

" _I knew this was going to happen"_ Kanan thought to herself. She followed Kanan up to her bedroom. Kanan shut the door behind them so they could talk in private.

"So Kana-"

"The answer is no."

"H-Hey! I haven't even said anything!"

"Mari, you gathered all the Aqours members to your home for a 'get-together' and make everything over the top for us. You're not fooling anyone." Mari threw her arms up into an 'I dunno' expression and grinned with her tongue sticking out.

"What are you talking about Kanan? Is it so wrong to want to see my friends again?"

"Mari, you're trying to bring back Aqours aren't you?"

"HWAAAAAT?" Mari said with an exaggerated pose and tone. "Kanan you're so silly someti-"

"Tell me I'm wrong then." Mari dropped the act and looked off to the side wordlessly. Kanan hardened her gaze.

"Mari, we're not in High School anymore. This isn't the same as it was back then. We have jobs now, we don't have the luxury of dancing our days away. Besides, even if we tried, we're not school idols anymore. I didn't get a degree to leave it hanging uselessly up on the wall. Now I suggest you cut this idol business and do something with that degree of yours."

"We can still be part of our majors while doing it as a hobby!"

"No we can't! If we're doing this we're doing this as professionals, and you can't go professional in two different places. Do you want to make us look like fools, mocking Uranohoshi's memory-"

"DON'T BRING THAT INTO THIS!" Mari suddenly screamed in a choked up voice. "Cooking isn't any fun with nobody there to cook for other than strangers! I hate being cut off from the world, I want to get back everything we've lost!"

"Do you really think none of us want that either!?" Kanan retorted with tears of her own starting to form. "We can't do it! Even if I wanted to, if anyone wanted to we can't! Aqours was laid to rest 4 years ago, LET IT GO!"

"NO! I...I…" There wasn't a sound in the air other than Mari's light sobbing.

"I'm sorry Mari, but this is the way it is. Don't blame me for something out of our control."

"I-I'm...not.."

"I'm going home. I'm not in the mood to hang out right now." With that, Kanan walked out of Mari's room and headed out. Mari led herself half in a trance to her bed an let herself collapse onto it. She buried her face in her pillow and sobbed as time became irrelevant. After a little while Dia came into the room. As soon as she saw Mari's tearsoked pillow and eyes red from sobbing, she sighed.

"I knew something bad was gonna happen. Need I even guess what happened?" Mari looked down at the floor wordlessly. Dia walked over and rubbed her head empathetically.

"I miss Aqours too, but you know as good as I we can't go back to those days. We all feel that way, even Kanan. She might not look like it, but I know deep down that's how she feels." Mari wrapped her arms around Dia and let herself sob into her shirt.

"Kanan…"

* * *

Kanan walked down the street in no particular direction. She had meant to walk home, but with Mari's words stinging her she felt she had to get out and get some air. She felt bad for Mari, but what else could she say? " _I have a shop to run; eventually I'll inherit it too. I don't have the time to go galavanting off on some idea we can turn back time."_ Kanan thought to herself. She sighed lightly, glancing back up the hill briefly. As she continued along, she eventually found herself nearing a bus stop with a vending machine near it. It didn't matter much though, as the busses were long done for the day. A girl who she assumed was a High Schooler sat on a bench nearby listening to her earbuds. She wore a blazer she didn't recognize, looking at a screen which was playing a video. Kanan was mulling over which drink to get, darting her eyes around the machine. " _Green tea...Iced Tea...ARGH, I can't focus at all! What was Mari even thinking!? We could've just had a good time but…no, I shouldn't blame her for this. She's been texting me so much recently...I wonder if she's lonely…"_ Kanan's thoughts were interrupted at the sound of the girl humming. The melody sounded familiar to her, so she let herself drift closer to the girl. To her surprise, she saw her smiling face looking back at her. And Mari's. And Dia's. And the rest of Aqours. The girl was listening to their Mijuku Dreamer performance! The girl suddenly yelled in surprise, falling on her back on the bench from surprise.

"J-Jeez, don't stare over someone's shoulders like tha-"

"S-Sorry! I just noticed that you were…" The girl had stopped mid sentence and stared back at Kanan with a look of astoundment.

"You're...You're…"

"Uh, are you all ri-"

"K-K-KANAN MATSUURA FROM AQOURS!?" The girl leapt up in Kanan's face with a joyful smile and eyes burning with passion.

"Y-Yeah. That's me."

"CANIGETYOURAUTOGRAPHITSSUCHAPLEASURETOMEETYOUI'VEDREAMEDOFMEETINGYOUINPERSON-" The girl stopped to catch her breath.

"Sorry about that...I'm just so excited to meet you in person!"

"I can see…"

"I came here on vacation hoping to meet you guys in person. I'm like your #1 fan, your story with Mari was super touching!"

"Mmm." Kanan looked off to the side with a saddened expression crossing her face. The girl gave her a worried look in return.

"You...still keep in touch right?"

"Oh no it's not like she's lost connections with me, she just…" Kanan paused. "She was having us get together at her new home here and-"

"Aqours!? Back together!?"

"No, it's not like that!" Kanan said angrily. The girl reeled back a bit in shock.

"S-Sorry for that, you see...I just had a fight with Mari. She wants to bring back Aqours, but I keep telling her we have jobs and such now. I can't go back to the way it was, none of us can. I didn't have all these responsibilities when I was in High School."

"But...didn't you always watch your shop during High School?"

"I guess but...are we really cut out for being professionals? We have degrees now, we have jobs, we...we…" Kanan lost her train of thought.

"You're worried about them aren't you?" Kanan hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.

"I don't want them to go ruining their lives chasing a dream after all this work to become something for themselves. Mari could excel in the cooking field because of her passion and her connections, Dia's expertise and Ruby's dedication can help Yoshiko with her business and…"

Kanan trailed off. She couldn't even remember what they were doing for work anymore.

"I don't want to pry into your private life but...I really hope you're willing to reconsider. Aqours means a lot to me, and I'd be the happiest girl in the world if you brought everyone back together. They may have a future, but are they all happy with it? There's no point in trying to dedicate your life to something you can't enjoy." Kanan pondered for a second. " _Something we...don't enjoy…?"_

"Random jump of subject but...when does the bus come?"

"The busses don't run this late."

"W-WHAT!? I've been waiting here forever for a bus to come and you're telling me there wasn't one coming? I really gotta go now, but it was a pleasure to meet yo- WAIT AUTOGRAPH AUTOGRAPH!"

"Alright, Alright, give me a second…" The girl eventually dragged her into also getting a good amount of photos after having several things signed.

"Ok I really need to get going before I distract myself anymore. I'm super super SUPERSUPERSUPER pumped that I got to meet you in real life! Hopefully things work out with you all!" With those parting words, she dashed off.

"Same to you!" Kanan called back with a smile. Kanan paused until the girl was out of sight. Turning around, she headed back up the hill towards Mari's House. " _I forgot to ask that girl her name...ah well, whatever her name was she might have just been the catalyst Mari needed…"_

* * *

Kanan hovered her finger over the pager. She knew it would would be awkward coming back, but she knew Mari at least would be there if everyone already left. " _Dammit Kanan, why did you have to be so stuck up?"_ She turned on the pager.

"Yes, this is the Ohara Residence. Sorry but were kinda busy right no-"

"Dia, it's me." There was a pause.

"One second."

A few seconds later the gates opened up. Kanan walked nervously up to the house. Dia greeted her at the door with a mix of emotions on her face. Kanan kept a saddened deadpan stare at the ground in front of her. Walking back into the hall, everyone was looking at her with mostly saddened and worried looks. Kanan gave a bow to everyone.

"I'm sorry for the mess I made. I acted too rash and now I've made a mess out of a fun night. I did some thinking and I think we should discuss this as a group instead of just making the decision for myself. Am I allowed to come back to the party?" Mari got up and walked over to Kanan; She wrapped her arms around her.

"Oh Kanan, I knew I couldn't stay mad at you for long!" After taking a seat, the question hung in the air above the awkward silence.

"How about a show of hands?" Dia suggested. "All those opposed, raise your hands." Dia half raised her hand, but when nobody joined along she put her hand down.

"All those in favor?" Mari's hand shot straight up, but everyone else remained anonymous.

"I think it's a bit more complicated than that Dia. We all want to see it happen but…" Kanan trailed off once more.

"Allow me to ask you all a question instead. Are you happy with your life right now? Do you think it's worth the risk of becoming a professional idol if you can at all?"

"Being an idol was a lot of hard work…" Ruby spoke up. "...but it was some of the best times in my life. I would love to be able to perform at my sister's side just like we used to, more than anything!"

"On one hand I want my business to be successful…" Yoshiko said with her gaze to the wall. "...but I felt like I belonged with you all. Having Ruby and Dia help me out only proves that."

"Despite what I said earlier…" Kanan paused in the middle of the sentence. "I wish I could be an idol again and have fun with everyone. I just worry about jeopardizing your futures of everyone...especially after all we went through to make it this far."

Suddenly, Chika stood up. She started dashing towards the door, pausing only to gesture for everyone to follow.

"Chika! Hold on a second!" You called as she gave chase. Everyone else followed suit. Chika ran down the hill with the night breeze blowing on her face. She dashed along the seaside road, assaulting her with the strong scent of the ocean. She heard her own voice echo in her head. " _I need to go beyond being a normal person and become the normal monster, Chika-chi!"_ She dashed along the side of an old guardrail, down a little hidden path and into the old field behind Uranohoshi. With everyone in tow, Chika dashed out into the middle of the field and took in a deep breath.

" **GAOOOOOOOOOOOOO!** "

Everyone stood and watched Chika a short distance away.

"I can't keep up the life I've been living like this! I don't want to stay here doing the same thing for the rest of my life! I want to get back that radiance we lost!" Chika put out her arm with an overpowering sense of confidence to the other members.

"Yeah we have degrees! Jobs! Businesses! We always managed schoolwork and business with our lives as idols, who says we can't do that now? We're all friends, we can help each other find our radiance! WHO'S WITH ME!?" Chika held her fist in the air, panting from running out of breath. At first, everyone stared at her. Then You put her foot forward and walked over to Chika.

"I want to shine again too! I'm ready to set sail with you Chika, full steam ahead...Yousoro!"

Mari followed suit, giving Chika a thumbs up as she ran over.

"Thank you Chika! I'll make sure we can be as radiant and shiny- no, shine even brighter than before!" Riko, Hanamaru and Yoshiko fell in too, Ruby dashing after them.

"R-Ruby!" Dia called after her.

"What are you waiting for big sis? Come on!" Dia sighed, then looked up with a smile.

"I doubt I could talk you all out of it. Alright, you win. I'm in."

Everyone stood in a semi-circle looking Kanan's direction. Kanan looked out at the smiling faces, and she felt herself start to tear up. She dashed after them, wrapping her arms around Chika in a half-tackle, half hug.

"Let's do it Chika! Let's bring back Aqours!" Chika let her tears roll down her cheek.

" _It's a miracle...We've been blessed with another miracle…"_ Chika thought to herself.

" _Normal monster Chika-chi is going to find her radiance once more!"_


	2. Chapter 2: Setting Sail

Chapter 2: Setting Sail

News of Aqours' revival spread like wildfire. Apparently a few places put it in the headlines, singing praises about their legacy. A few even asked for interviews, most of which Mari handled with a hearty attitude and a bit of physical exaggeration. And by a bit I mean a lot. The whole process was moving along smoother than expected, especially thanks to some relations that Mari had. They had a large studio to practice in, mirrors and everything. It reminded Chika of the place they had rented for a brief period after their first Love Live attempt. Only difference was that there was a lot more space and a large closet for storing essentials.

"Woooow! It's so spacious!" Chika admired, spreading her arms out. "We have so much room to practice! What should we do first?" Chika said bouncing with excitement.

"We need a song before we make anything else." Advised Dia. "We need to come on strong if we want to have a good start as professionals."

"Dia's right." Riko said with a partial smile. "I think we need something that really brings home a feeling of hopefulness."

"I wanna write something filled with joy!" Ruby said hopping up and down, her pigtails rising and falling with her. "Something about the joy of being together!"

"I wanna make something about the ocean!" Chika said, peeling a mikan. "What do you wanna write about You?"

"Something about setting sail, sailing into the future, yousoro!"

"I think these ideas are great and all…" Hanamaru broke in. "...but who's actually writing the lyrics for the song?" You raised her hand high and waved it a bit.

"I wanna write some of it, but I might be busy for a little bit." You said. "See, my dad is coming home from his job today, so I wanna have time to go to port and greet him as he arrives!" Chika turned her head curiously.

"He's a fisherman right?" Chika asked before stuffing a freshly peeled mikan slice in her mouth.

"Yep! He spends so much time out at sea, he always has loads of stories to tell me! He likes to exaggerate too, telling me about 'the one in a million blue lobster' and 'the biggest baddest shark in the whole seven seas'! I used to eat that stuff up as a kid, probably why I'm so in love with the sea to this day! He even brings me stuff from time to time. I have a pillow with an anchor on it that I've kept around since I was little, it was a gift he bought from a store a long ways away from here."

Chika swallowed the rest of the mikan in her mouth with a big gulp.

"Do you stay in touch?" Chika asked before popping another one in to replace the last one.

"Usually he sends me letters telling me how he's been doing every month or so. I can't exactly write back because of his constant change in location but sometimes he sends me back a shell or some other souvenir from places he's been. One time he sent me a small tube of black sand from a volcanic island."

"I heard about black sand before, zura!" Hanamaru said with a bit of excitement in her voice.

"Kuu, Kuu, Kuu...Perhaps it was cursed sands from the beaches of-" Yoshiko added before being cut off by Hanamaru.

"They're formed by volcanic rocks being broken down from erosion! I read that in a book about geology once. Maybe Yoshiko should try learning a bit more science, zura."

"Y-Yohane! Also it's rude to interrupt people!"

"My bad, zura."

"You're smirking! You're not being sincere at all!" The girls all shared a brief laugh before the wristwatch of You's started beeping.

"Sorry to cut my first day short, but I gotta go home quickly so I can change and greet him at the port. I'll text you tonight about it Chika!"

"Have fun!" Chika said, waving to her before biting into another mikan.

* * *

Because they weren't a part of the same school anymore, they took different busses home for the most part. Since Riko, You and Chika all still lived with their families, they would be taking a bus home together. They both sat in the back of the bus, chatting along the way home.

"It's a shame You had to leave early, but I hope she had a good time with her dad." Riko commented.

"Usually she's busy for the day he arrives and the day afterwards, so I expect her to be gone tomorrow too."

"Really? Well what are we gonna do without her there?"

"Dia said she's gonna spend tomorrow organizing everything so we can function better as a group, remember?"

"It sounded more like 'We're all gonna pitch in to keep ourselves organized', followed by her telling you not to leave mikan peels lying around."

"I-I don't remember that part…" Chika commented silently to herself.

"I swear Chika, if mikans weren't naturally grown in slices you'd be able to eat an entire harvest of them in under a week."

"I can't help that they taste good! They're just so juicy and succulent…my mouth is watering at the thought…"

"I swear you only love them more with age." Riko said with her head in her hand. The bus pulled into their stop, coming to rest with a hiss. As the doors opened, Riko snapped Chika back to reality.

"Chika, it's our stop."

"O-Oh, I knew that! I wasn't fantasizing about mikans at all!"

"What am I going to you, Chika?"

* * *

The next day, Chika came in to see D barking orders at a few delivery guys. They all looked frightened of her.

"Make sure that fits nice and snug in that corner! Snuggly! Don't be so careless with that, we want these to last!"

"Y-YES MA'AM!" They responded fearfully.

" _Poor guys…"_ Chika thought to herself with a sympathetic smile.

"Hey Chika! We're getting all this done today, so get your stuff put away and hop to it!" Dia directed.

"Y-Yes ma'am…"

Chika went into the large closet space to find a row of labeled desks with storage space for various belongings. Hers was the closest to the front, sitting next to You's. The other desks had already been laid out for the most part, Yoshiko's being cluttered with various charms and such. She seemed to be having an argument with Dia about placing a candle on her desk, which Dia firmly disapproved of due to it being a fire hazard. Chika was almost surprised the fake skull wasn't being taken issue with. Everyone seemed to already have their stuff set up excluding You of course. Seeing a brief opportunity, she checked her phone again.

"Still nothing." She said to herself. "Ah well, she probably did some fun stuff and fell asleep by accident." Dia walked into the closet area with Yoshiko's unlit candle in her hand.

"Was You gonna come in today?" Dia asked with a hint of exhaustion in her voice. "Usually she'd be one of the first to arrive unless she was with you."

"Usually she spends an extra day with her dad doing stuff so she won't be in until tomorrow."

"Sure would've been nice if you told me that yesterday." Dia scolded. "I already have a headache dealing with all the moving and such." Dia looked over her shoulder with a frustrated look at Yoshiko.

"I need that candle for my incantations!"

"Well then do them in place where you won't risk burning down a building!" Yoshiko slumped forward with a pouty face. Dia handed the candle to Yoshiko who reluctantly put it back in her bag.

"Where's everyone else?" Chika asked.

"Other room. They're working on setting up where we'll sit and discuss important things. Chika glanced in the windows, seeing Mari pointing enthusiastically at a whiteboard while Ruby and Hanamaru lined the shelves with books and other various idol stuff. Riko was setting up a projector to a laptop sitting at the head of the table. Riko had become somewhat of an electronics expert, which was a pretty big shock to Chika when she first heard about it; Computer Science and piano had pretty little in common after all. Chika walked in with a friendly wave.

"Morning!"

"Morning!" Everyone replied almost in sync.

"Hey Chika, mind supporting me while I screw in a few of these bolts?" Riko called out. Chika nodded and jogged over to behind her. Riko stood on a small step ladder, with only a few steps on it. Chika stood at the base of the ladder and reached up to hold her steady. Chika put her hands on Riko's waist to help support her. Mari put her hands together and gave them a smug look.

"Ooooooh!~ So Riko wants Chika to touch her waist now does she? And what would be to happen were Riko to fall? She'd fall right on top of-" Riko shot Mari a fake smile, spinning the drill in her hand twice.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"N-Nothing, I didn't say anything." Mari said throwing her arms up in an exaggerated shrug.

The rest of the day went roughly the same, Dia yelling at the workers to get everything done (Luckily for them they did), Riko setting up the tech stuff and everyone else getting stuff set up. Once Chika got home she shot You a text.

"So did you do anything fun? Any fun stories to tell?" Chika stared at her phone screen, waiting for a reply. It said the message was delivered but wasn't read, just like her message the other day. Chika started to get a feeling in the pit of her stomach.

" _Something's not right…"_ She thought nervously to herself. " _...I don't want to believe it but, something must have happened."_ Chika put down her phone and walked into the kitchen. Shima was helping prepare dinner, working on getting rice in the rice cooker.

"Hey Shima, have you seen You around?"

"I haven't really. She's hanging out with her dad I believe you said?"

"Yeah. But she hasn't checked her messages at all, so I'm getting kind of worried."

"Is she going to show up for practice tomorrow? If she doesn't, you can pay her a visit if you're that worried." Chika nodded worriedly.

"You can help with dinner if it gets your mind off it."

* * *

Everyone sat at the table in the studio the next day, waiting for You to show up. Everyone had only just arrived, but there was a tension hanging over the room. Everyone was eyeing Chika, who sat staring at her unanswered messages.

"Chika, I don't think she's coming." Riko said worriedly. "She wasn't on the bus this morning, and I seriously doubt she overslept."

"She'll come! She's got to come!" Chika said with empty enthusiasm. "You wouldn't forget about us, she loves being an idol as much as everyone else here! She wouldn't just…" Chika trailed off, leading the room into another tense silence. Time went by, the ticking of the clock echoing in everyone's ears. The only other sounds were Hanamaru eating a snack to try calming her down and Chika drumming her fingers on the desk. Dia glanced at her watch.

"It's been an hour and a half. There's no way she's showing up."

"Well what do we do now? Just pack up and go home after sitting around forever?" Yoshiko said grimly. It seems the tenseness had gotten even to her.

"I think we could work on the song's lyrics." Ruby offered.

"Didn't we already agree to use the idea You had? She even asked to write them." Dia said sadly. The room fell silent again. Chika had had enough. Standing up, she dashed out of the room.

"C-Chika!? Where are you going?" Riko called after her.

"What do you think? I'm gonna check on You, that's what I'm doing!" Chika darted out of the building and down to the bus stop with a growing feeling of worry in her gut.

" _Whatever happened...please be ok, You!"_

Chika finally arrived at You's house. Her curtain was drawn and there wasn't a sound inside. Gulping, Chika rang the doorbell. At first there was no response, but after a little bit the door opened up. You's mother stood there with a gloomy look over her face.

"I'm sorry but we're not accepting any guests right no- ...Oh, hello Chika."

"H-Hello." Chika said worriedly. "I haven't gotten any returned texts from You or seen her at the clubroom so I…"

"Come in. I think there's something I need to show you." Chika followed her in the house, the feeling inside her growing almost overwhelming. She had a strong urge to charge up the stairs and into You's room to see if her friend was ok. Chika was lead into an open room with a table set up with various objects. There were candles and various other objects adorning it, at the center of it being a picture of a man with a smile remarkably like You's.

"It was only recently it happened." Her mother began. "They were out in a bad storm, getting in the nets before the storm tore them up. It took longer than they anticipated so by the time they got down to the last few nets the storm had taken full force. He was out there getting the nets reeled in when a bolt of lightning…" Her mother couldn't bring herself to finish the story, devolving into a soft sobbing. Chika's came to the dark realization of what had happened.

" _You's father...is dead…"_

Chika couldn't stop herself anymore. She tore out of the room and up the stairs. She stopped with her fingers inches away from the knob. She grabbed the handle and gently opened the door with a creak. Then Chika saw You's room. There was dents in the wall which seemed to be from being punched. Her phone sat on her desk with a thin layer of dust starting to collect. You looked sadly up from her bed. She was cuddling a pillow with a blue anchor design on it, a few light brown ropes running through the top of it to form different types of knots sailors would use for tying ships to port. The pillow looked somewhat worn around the edges, telling Chika it was well loved. You's hair was a complete mess and it looked like she hadn't showered in days. There were bags under her eyes and they looked red and irritated. She looked up with a pained expression and then back down at the floor.

"Sorry that I...didn't...tell…" You said sadly. Chika could only stare with her heart sinking into the ground. Chika managed to walk over to the bed and sat down next to You.

"How could I be mad at you? I wasn't mad, I was worried something bad had happened and well…" Chika trailed off. She didn't even know what to say to her.

"Do you...want to go back and practice with us or…"

"How could I?" You said with a choked up voice. "Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to make my dad proud. I wanted to be able to tell him whenever he got home that his daughter did something amazing. Being able to tell him about me working to save the school was one of the most achieving moments of my life. He cared for me and I wanted to give back. He was a reason to live my life, to move forward, to grow, to shine! But...now what? What do I even live for? It feels like my whole life has been flipped on its head! What do I do...WHAT THE HELL DO I DO!?" You buried her face in her pillow, soaking the pillow further with more tears. Chika put her hand on you's shoulder and rubbed it comfortingly. Chika could feel tears of her own start to build.

" _What can I do to possibly help her? It wouldn't be Aqours without her! But what do I say? Can I even help her at all?"_ Chika thought, a tear gliding down her cheek.

"If you're not up for it today, that fine but...if you can, please come to the clubroom tomorrow. I couldn't just leave my best friend like this!"

"..."


	3. Chapter 3: Does The Night Sky

Chapter 3: Does The Night Sky Watch Over Us?

"That's...horrible" Mito said somberly.

"Do either of you have any idea what I can do?" Mito and Shima sat quietly at the table, clearly having the same dilemma as Chika.

"I asked her to come to the clubroom tomorrow, but...I don't know if she'll go through with it."

Mito shoveled some rice into her mouth.

"Now you've got me all depressed." Mito said with her mouth full, resting her head in her hand.

"I'm sorry Chika." Shima said with a pat on the shoulder and a sympathetic smile. "If I knew how to help, I would. My best guess is to try finding her something else to bring out her passion. I don't know what else to say unfortunately." Chika and her sisters ate dinner in silence, feeling helpless I helping Chika. After dinner, Chika checked her phone. There was a new message from You.

"Hey Chika, I'm probably gonna try to show up tomorrow. I don't know how good I'll feel but I guess it couldn't hurt." Chika felt a little better, hoping You would feel better the next day. She replied back: "Ok, hope you're feeling better tomorrow!" with a little smiley face at the end. Suddenly, Chika remembered that the others didn't know about the whole problem yet. Quickly, she texted the other 7 members about the issue. She spent the next half hour regretting that decision because she kept getting a cluttered mess of texts.

The next morning, Chika and Riko walked to the bus stop together. When they arrived, they noticed You standing there with her bag. Chika called out to You, with her responding with an effortless wave and a fake smile. You gazed at Riko and Chika standing side by side longingly.

"Morning." Riko said awkwardly.

"Hey." You said without an ounce of enthusiasm.

"So Chika told me about what happened...I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thanks." She replied, although it hardly sounded genuine. The sky was mostly cloudy but there wasn't any rain.

"I heard it might rain later, but tonight it's supposed to clear up." Chika said with a bit of enthusiasm. "Do you wanna do something after practice?"

"I dunno. I'll see how I feel." It returned to silence except for the soft howling of the wind. Finally the bus came. The ride over was even more awkward; You spent the majority of the time staring out the window, completely drowning out anything going on around her. When they finally arrived You hardly noticed.

"You, we're here." You didn't reply. Chika tapped her shoulder.

"Hey, You!" You looked up, surprised.

"O-Oh, sorry I was sorta spacing out."

They headed into the studio with the tension getting only stronger as everyone came to greet You. Everyone just sorta stood there not knowing what to say.

" _Crap, this isn't helping at all...at this rate she's only gonna get worse…"_ Chika thought to herself. Dia cleared her throat.

"Good morning, You. Would you like to set up your desk?" You nodded. They walked her over to the desks, where she set her bag under. Everyone stood there in a moment of awkward silence.

"Nobody told me I'd be working on decorating a desk." You said disappointedly. Riko gave Chika a look that spelled out " _How could you forget to tell her that!?"_

"S-Sorry, it spaced my mind…" Chika said hunching her shoulders with an apologetic look.

"W-Well, I think we could try some dancing! I'm sure getting your blood pumping will be just what you need." The girls went into the changing room to get on more appropriate wear, each getting their own changing room.

"This must be what's it's like to be wealthy, zura…" Hanamaru said dreamily.

"You never had your own changing rooms as kids?" Mari asked with a hint of surprise in her tone. Kanan sighed.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Rich people are crazy." Most of the group laughed. Hanamaru looked back over her shoulder to see you walk with a gloomy look into her own room. Hanamaru started to trail behind, a strong sense of pity keeping her from going to her room. Just as she was about to start heading along, You left her room and walked back towards the main studio. You pulled the chair away from her empty desk and began slowly digging through her bag. All she had was a few clothes and a bento box her mother had put in there for her. There was a little note attached to the top that read 'You can do it!' boldly on top. You sighed, putting the box back in her bag and grabbed her spare clothes. She looked up and fell backwards in surprise as she saw Hanamaru standing over her.

"She's trying her best, you know." Hanamaru said coldly.

"W-What...what do you-"

"You're not the only one suffering from this whole mess. She's trying her best to cheer you up and get you back on your feet."

"What, so I'm not allowed to be sad? I lost my damn father-"

"She lost her damn husband! If you value him so much, why can't you try a little harder for her too?"

"Do you really think I don't care about her? I had my world thrown on my head, can you blame me for how I feel!? Don't act like you know how I feel!"

"I lost both my parents when I was a baby." Hanamaru said, hardening her gaze.

You's anger faded away into shock.

"Y-You...lost…"

"I never had the opportunity to know my father OR my mother! Be grateful for what you still have, and make the most out of the time you have with her. I may not be a mother, but I know how it feels to lose something precious."

"I...understand. I'm sorry for being such a downer…"

"Don't apologize. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I know talking harshly to you while you're going through this whole mess may not be the nicest thing, but I wasn't sure how else to tell you. Besides, this is a secret I keep close to myself; I almost never want it to be brought up let alone discussed, zura." Hanamaru took a half step and turned her head back towards You.

"Please don't tell the other members about this, I don't want anyone to bring anything about this up as you might imagine." You nodded still partially in shock. She gathered her thoughts as Hanamaru walked back to the dressing rooms.

" _I know I have to be there for my mother, but...how? How can I just be strong again? I...I don't understand...Chika...please help me…"_

* * *

"Break Time!" Called Kanan after a little while of practice. You had forgotten to get herself something to drink so Chika shared some of her water.

"You sure I can have this?"

"Of course!" She said reaching into her bag to grab a mikan. "These are packed with juice so they're like a food and a drink in one!" Chika bit into one and squirted juice onto her face.

"Bleh!" Chika said, falling backward in surprise. You couldn't help but giggle a bit.

"You're finally smiling again." Chika said with a smile, wiping the juice off with a napkin.

"I guess I am." You said with a hint of relief. "I guess you were right, Chika."

" _She's finally feeling better! Now let's hope I can keep her that way!"_ Chika thought hopefully to herself. Break had gone well too, despite a strange look on You's face for most of it. Chika also could swear she saw You glance at her and Hanamaru from time to time. " _I must be imagining things...at least I hope I am."_ Soon, breaktime was over and everyone headed into the big office. Mari stood up with a piece of paper in her hand.

"We need to get a new song out, pronto! Of course, our shiny volunteer writer was none other than you, You!" She said enthusiastically tossing the paper into the air. The paper fluttered down to the ground as Mari maintained her pose.

"I...meant to do that!" She said before picking it up off the floor. With a bright smile she put it out in front of You on the desk.

"Bon Appetiteu!~"

"Mari, will you sit down already?"

"Awww, Dia you're no fun!" Mari sat down as everyone had their eyes locked on You. You looked awkwardly around the room.

"Isn't it a bit awkward to be writing the song here with everyone staring at me?" You said nervously.

"This is more of a...one time thing." Dia said. "We're planning to do this in groups to write several songs at once, but since you volunteered we figured the first song should be written by you. You came up with the idea for the song after all, what was it about?"

"It was about setting sail, right?" Ruby chimed in. She noticed You's smile start to fade. "PIGII! I-I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"No, it's fine! I'm just gotta write this and do my best! I just need to clear my head is all!" You put her pencil close to the paper and stared at it. Silence. Uneasiness spread through the room like wildfire. Finally, You's hand holding the pencil started to quiver. The pencil didn't put any graphite on the paper, instead it was dotted by falling tears.

"I...I want to do my best...I want to try hard...but I...but I…" You sobbed. Then she looked up and stared Hanamaru dead in the eyes.

"I JUST CAN'T!" She screamed before running full force out of the room. Chika stood up briefly reaching her arm out. She stood a moment before slumping back into her chair with a defeated look.

"Dammit…" Dia said under her breath.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." Ruby said sadly. "This was my fault."

"No it wasn't!" Hanamaru blurted out suddenly. Everyone turned to her with surprised looks. "I'm the reason she got so upset."

"Come to think of it Zuramaru, her gaze was right on you when she exploded." Yoshiko added skeptically. "Did you tell her something?" Hanamaru nodded. She explained everything about her parents and what she said to You about trying for her mother.

"...Something just snapped inside me when I saw her brush it off. I let my anger get the best of me, and now I probably just made things worse." Everyone was completely out of it, all this chaos had taken a toll on their emotions. The room was silent save for the sounds of falling rain outside. Finally, Dia stood up with a sigh.

"Come Ruby, practice is over for today." Not even Mari wanted to argue it. Dia patted Hanamaru on the shoulder.

"Don't blame yourself for all this. We all have our own issues, and with all the mayhem happening right now I can't blame you for snapping. We'll work this out in time, so for the time being don't be so hard on yourself ok?" Hanamaru nodded sadly. As she was leaving, Riko put a hand on Chika's shoulder.

"What are you going to do Chika?" She asked nervously.

"...I wish I knew...I think I'm the person she needs right now but...what do I do?"

* * *

The rain fell and mixed in with the tears running down You's face. She forgot to bring an umbrella so every part of her was being soaked to the bone. She ran and ran until her legs felt like they were burning, eventually making her way to an old shipyard. She stood idle, staring at the large ships docked at the pier. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she made her way to a small bench by a rock wall. She sat down and stared at her feet. She sat there shivering in the rain for what seemed like hours before a strange figure approached her. It was an old man in a big yellow raincoat. He carried an umbrella with a plain blue design, seeming to observe her as he approached. Normally if some old man came up to her out of the blue she'd be uncomfortable and more than likely run for it, but she could recognize his ashen beard anywhere.

"Captain Smokey…"

He responded with a sad smile before taking a seat next to her. Smokey had been the captain of the vessel You's father had sailed on. You didn't see him often, but she remembered him from a few encounters when her father had come home at the end of a season. He was one of her father's closest acquaintances, so she trusted him immensely.

"You're Watanabe's girl, aren't you?" You nodded slowly. He put the umbrella over the two of them. "You'll get a cold in this rain you know. What are you doing out here on your own? Ran away from home?"

"Something to that effect."

Smokey paused before letting out a raspy sigh.

"It hit us all hard too. Nobody wants to lose a member of the crew, especially someone as passionate as him."

"..."

"If something's bothering you lass, old Smokey's ready to lend an ear. You'll have to speak up though, my hearing isn't what it used to be!" He mused with a hearty laugh.

"Well...I feel like I'm...not loving the ocean as much as I used to."

"Bah! That's a load of rubbish! Once a captain's girl, always a captain's girl I say. Your father used to have that same look whenever he told himself a lie, so I know there's something else bothering you. Your love of the ocean is tied with your father, ain't it?"

"...Whenever I try thinking about boats and stuff, all I can think of is my father. It's always been that way and that won't ever change as long as I live. But now...whenever I try thinking about that stuff, all I can think of is him. Thinking about him now makes me feel like every ounce of passion in my body is being drained away. I've never been passionate about being anything else other than an idol, but even then it just feels...empty. I don't even know what I'm working towards, how or even why anymore."

"If that's the case, trying to let go isn't gonna do you any good. I wish I could help you more, but this old sea dog is out of tricks. If I had to take a guess, I'd say try to make a goal for yourself to work towards or something that can give you a sense of belonging and worth. Something that would've made your daddy proud."

"But...how? How do I know what that is?"

"I'm sorry lass, but that's just something you'll have to find for yourself. I gotta head home now, but if you need some more advice feel free to ask ol' Smokey!" You nodded with a smile beginning to creep over her face.

"Thanks Smokey, I needed something to cheer me up." Smokey nodded with an encouraging grin. He held his hand out and looked up as a raindrop fell on his hand.

"Looks like the rain's clearing up."

* * *

You walked alone along the seaside, serenaded by the sound of crickets. Her clothes had dried in the warm air, now only touched by the gentle seabreeze. She stopped at a small section of beach she could've recognized anywhere. It was the beachside where Aqours had trained, shared laughs, sadness and an array of other emotions. You leaned on the fence and looked out at the water with a sigh.

"I thought you might be here."

You looked to the side and saw Chika standing there with a smile on her face.

"Chika...how did you-" Chika giggled.

"Just a feeling."

You drummed her fingers on the railing, staring down at her own hands.

"I just don't know where to go. It feels like my very soul gets drained away every time I try to do something. I feel so lost...I just wish there was something I could do...something...anything…" You began to choke up and fell into silence. They stood there for a moment in silence, but then Chika spoke up.

"Hey You...do you think the stars in the night sky watch over us?" You looked up at her with a confused look. "I like to imagine that the stars are looking down on us and making sure we're all ok. Don't you think so?"

You stood there for a moment before looking up at the night sky. It was a clear night, and all the stars shone brightly in a large array.

"It's...so beautiful…" You said with a creeping smile.

"I think the night sky is clear tonight to help us out, don't you think?"

Then a miracle happened. You looked up at the starry sky, and she swore the stars started to move. Her eyes widened as she saw her father's smiling face up in the stars. He gave her a salute with the encouraging eyes that had stirred up You's passion so many times before. She stood there shocked for a moment before returning the salute. Tears fell down her face, for the first time in ages of joy.

"I'M NOT GOING TO SIT AND CRY ANY MORE! I'M READY TO SET OUT ON MY OWN! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING DADDY! I'M READY TO SET SAIL FOR MYSELF!"

You took in a deep breath before yelling a cry across the entire bay.

" **YOUSOROOOOOOOOOOOO!** "

Chika let a few tears run with a satisfied smile. You stood there looking up at the sky with a proud determined smile.

* * *

That night, You stood on her balcony looking up at the stars. Although she didn't see her father's face anymore, she knew deep down he was still up there watching over her. She began to speak in a soft voice.

"Hey, daddy? I talked with Smokey earlier. He gave me some advice I had been pondering over. He told me I should find something that stirred my passion, but I didn't know what it was. I think I get it now though; it was right in front of me. Being an idol...making people happy...growing by Chika's side...I know I can do it now. Knowing you're watching over me while I grow is all I could ever ask for. I'll do my best for everyone rooting for me...Chika...Aqours...my fans...Mom...and most importantly, you. Thank you for helping me back on my feet, I promise I'll make you proud."

You walked back into her room and began to write a text. With a click, she sent the message. With a satisfied smile, she fell asleep with her head on her beloved anchor pillow. Chika picked up her phone at the sound of it buzzing. She opened it up and found the sender was You. It read: "Hey Chika, I'm ready to go back to practice tomorrow. I know what I wanna write for the song too! I'm thinking about calling it 'Yozora wa Nandemo Shitteru no?', how does that sound?"


	4. Chapter 4: Saints and Little Demons

Chapter 4: Saints and Little Demons

There were many challenges to living away from her mother. For example, getting out of bed on time! Yoshiko's eyes widened as she glanced at the clock. She was supposed to be at the studio in 5 minutes, which she knew wasn't going to happen. She scrambled to get out of bed, and in the struggle got caught in her own bedsheets and fell to the floor with a heavy thud.

"OW!" She exclaimed upon impact, sitting up and rubbing her head. She dashed down the stairs, skipping her morning shower and throwing together breakfast. The end result of these efforts was a burnt slice of toast in the trash and a thrown together bowl of cereal. Since she missed the bus, she had no choice but to grab her bike. Unfortunately the pouring rain made her bike ride miserable, drenching her as she pedaled her way to the studio. As she headed down one hill in particular, she felt a bump and started to hear a hissing sound. She hit the brake, stopping on the edge of the street to examine. A rock had been caught in the tire, leaving a hole that hissed out a stream of air.

"Great. Just great. I'm running late and now I can't even use my stupid bike. The life of a fallen angel is not an easy one…"

* * *

Chika looked at the clock hanging on the wall with a worried look.

"Yoshiko should be here by now. I wonder if she's ok…" Chika said to herself. Riko took out her phone and looked at her messages.

"She hasn't messaged me...should I try giving her a call?" Riko said to Chika with a worried expression crossing her face. Chika folded her arms and exhaled lightly, pressing her index and middle finger into her arm repeatedly. They all looked up at the sound of a loud metal slam. Standing in the doorway trying to catching her breath was a wet, tired and unlucky Yoshiko, showing up fashionably 35 minutes late. After catching her breath, she strode into the room playing off her awkward entrance. She flicked her wet hair to the side and struck a pose.

"Worry not little demons, fallen angel Yohane has descended at last after...a minor inconvenience! Now let us all fall from grace togethe-"

"Are those pajamas?" Dia interrupted with an un-amused look. Yoshiko didn't bother finishing her sentence. Dia put her hand on her hip and pointed to the closet. "We have spare clothes in there. Go put them on before you get a cold."

"Y-Yes ma'am…" Yoshiko said in a defeated tone, trailing a line of water behind her.

"Oh, honestly!" Dia said walking up to her. "If you're trailing water everywhere, at least roll up your pant legs or something!" Dia hunched down to roll them up herself. "I'm not your mother Yoshiko, you're perfectly capable of doing this yourself."

"From the way you're acting, you might as well be her mother…" Kanan said under her breath.

"Excuse me, what was that Kanan?"

"She said you're one hot mama!~" Mari burst in.

"I'll sue you."

Riko helped get out the spare uniforms so they wouldn't get all soaked. Yoshiko explained the morning's trouble to her as she searched.

"...so now I have to get that bike fixed too!"

"That's a kind of bad luck I could only expect from you. All I have is a stomach ache." Riko said whilst rubbing her hand along her belly, which groaned faintly. After glancing around the shelves and such for a little while, she finally spotted them on one of the bottom shelves.

"Ah, there you are!" She bent down to grab a pair, causing her shirt to fall forward slightly, exposing a little skin near her waist. A mischievous grin crossed Yoshiko's face, letting herself come closer. She quickly grabbed it with her cold hands, causing Riko to shudder in surprise. Riko let out an 'EEK!' in surprise, but unfortunately for Yoshiko that wasn't the only thing Riko let out; she was also in the perfect position to get it directly to the face. Riko stood up and put her hands firmly on Yoshiko's shoulder, staring her right in the eyes with a hard glare.

"TELL. NOBODY." Riko said in a deep threatening voice. Yoshiko nodded fearfully.

Yoshiko's day went about as great as her morning. The only spares they had belonged to Ruby, so they hugged her body frame too tightly. She was out of sync when everyone else nailed one dance section. This on top of a headache probably caused by her morning fall didn't help in any capacity. One grueling day later, Yoshiko staggered down to their inbox on the first floor. The studio had the added luxury of a reserved box for deliveries and/or mail. Yoshiko popped open the box with a squeak, revealing a few letters. It was breaktime, which is usually when someone was sent down to grab the mail based on a schedule.

" _Of course it was me today…"_ Yoshiko thought to herself with irritation. She brought the mail into the break room where everyone else was eating their lunch. Chika was happily devouring a mikan as usual, the hair on top of her head moving back and forth like a happy puppy's tail. Yoshiko swore it was sentient. She started to hand out the letters based on names.

"Chika...You...Ruby...Mari...Kanan.…" Yoshiko said to herself as she passed out the letters. Everyone got a letter...except her. Everyone excitedly read their fan mail while Yoshiko sat without a letter or even lunch (she forgot to pack it), twitching her eye wordlessly.

"Wow, they even put a little mikan next to my name!" Chika said excitedly.

"This one has a little boat drawing! You said pointing to a cute little boat drawn with a swirl of lines making the smoke from the smokestack on top.

"I think you and Mari look cute together." Kanan read with an increasingly confused look. "Maybe one day you and Mari could-" Kanan slammed close the card and put it in her lap, looking away with a bright red face. Mari stood up with a disappointed look on her face.

"Awww, I wanted to hear the end of that!" The first and second years laughed excluding Yoshiko, who's only reaction was a growling stomach. Dia was in charge of finance, so she handled the taxes. As she shuffled through them, she noticed a single grey envelope. She flipped it over curiously. On the back of it read "Yoshiko."

"Yoshiko, you have a letter!" Yoshiko's eyes lit up, putting her hands together with a hopeful look in her eyes. Dia got up and handed Yoshiko the letter. Yoshiko didn't even care the letter read "Yoshiko" instead of "Yohane", after her crappy day anything nice was more than welcome. The contents of the letter was a single folded piece of paper. Yoshiko unfolded it and read it over to herself. As she read on, her happy look faded into a worried expression. She looked up to the table, speaking with a strangely serious tone.

"I think you all should hear this." Everyone turned to her direction, and Yoshiko cleared her throat before beginning the unsettling paragraph.

"Congratulations on winning Love Live, I'm sure you all deserved it. You don't know us but we know you. Come to Creekbed Village tonight at 10:00 sharp. If you don't come, we can always come to you. We know where you live. What about it Yoshiko? We know you hate being called that. Why don't you come and tell us otherwise yourself? Don't be late."

"'We know where you live'...creepy…" Riko said unsettled.

"Yoshiko, do you know what that place is?" Kanan spoke with an unsettled tone. Yoshiko shook her head.

"Creekbed Village is abandoned. It was an old mining town that ceased production ages ago, and since has been reclaimed by the forest. Yoshiko, whatever you do DO NOT go there!"

"They said they knew where I lived. What if they're serious?"

"It could always be a bluff. If they hurt you in town, you can get to a hospital quicker. If you get hurt in the middle of the woods, who knows what could happen." Yoshiko went to put the letter back in the envelope when she noticed something else in the bottom of the envelope. She took it out, and her expression only grew more grim.

"It's...a flower petal?" Hanamaru observed. "It's a lovely color but...that means something else doesn't it?"

"This type of flower...it's the same type my mom grows outside in her garden." A wave of terror enveloped the room. " _They aren't just targeting me...they're threatening to hurt my mother too...those bastards!"_ Yoshiko clenched her fish with a hard glare.

"I'm sorry, but I have to do this."

"No you don't!" Kanan said, standing up in protest.

"Yes, I do!" Yoshiko countered with ferocity in her eyes. "It's one thing to threaten me, but to threaten my family...that's beyond the line. FAR beyond the line." Riko stood up, raising her hand.

"I'll come too! I can't just let you all go off by yourself!" Everyone turned their heads, Yoshiko's face melting into a mix of emotions. "It's dangerous to go alone, take me!"

"How fitting you say that before going into a forest, heh."

"What was that Mari?"

"Oh, nothing…"

Yoshiko looked around the room at the sea of worried faces.

"Anyone else?" Dia was first to speak up.

"I have to work on finances, and there's no way I'd allow Ruby to get involved with this."

"Me and Chika were gonna talk with Smokey after practice." You spoke up. "Last time he saw me I was down in the dumps, so I wanna ease his worries and show him I'm fine now. Sorry."

"I'll be near my phone if anything goes wrong. If you're in trouble, call me and I'll get the police there as soon as possible." Kanan hesitated before continuing. "Are you sure we shouldn't just call the police beforehand?"

"I've already considered that. I know it's the smarter option but...I can't just let them threaten my family like that. They've ticked me off beyond belief."

"I'm coming along too." Hanamaru blurted out, going over to Yoshiko and holding her hand in between her own two. "I can't just let my childhood friend walk into something like this alone."

"Zuramaru...thank you."

"I'll keep Kanan from doing anything too rash." Mari said with a wink.

"Why am I the one who needs restraint?"

* * *

If it wasn't for the tenseness, the night would've been fairly nice. The air was cool and crisp, the crickets and songbirds chirping softly as the wind howled in the trees. They walked down an abandoned foot trail, Yoshiko leading with a flashlight and the other two sticking close behind about an arm's length away. The ground was still wet from the rain earlier, so they had to walk around big puddles and spots of darkened mud.

"I'd imagine this place has plenty of rich rocks and sediment." Hanamaru commented. "Some ancient river might've run through here, carrying with it precious materials that were mined back when this place was in its heyday."

"Why was it shut down?" Riko asked, carefully stepping around a large mud puddle.

"Apparently some incident happened in the mine, a cave-in I believe. Apparently the town relied so heavily on the mine that it's failure spelled the end for the town."

"Did...anyone die in that incident?"

"I don't know the exact number but at least a dozen I believe."

"That's...awful."

"That's how it was back then. Many miners died of their conditions, heck, some places in the world people still do."

All the talk of death suddenly made them realize it was dead quiet around them. No chirping. No buzzing of insects. No scurrying of forest animals. Just. Dead. Silence. Even Yoshiko was getting unnerved by the lack of noises, darting her eyes around as if something was lurking in the shadows that would pounce at any moment. Hanamaru glanced through the trees then stopped cold in her tracks. She tapped Yoshiko's shoulder, causing her to jump in surprise.

"D-Don't do that! You scared the crap outta me!"

"Yoshiko...point your flashlight towards that bunch of trees…"

She turned the flashlight into the dark forest, unveiling something tangled up in the branches down low. It was tangled with rope, but there in front of them hung a wooden object that held up a voodoo doll.

"H-Hanamaru...did you hear anything about that kind of stuff being here?"

"Nothing I know of, no. I'm praying that's just something out of place…"

As they shone the light back down the path, they noticed an old gate hanging over the road. Chains that a sign once hung from dangled below the gate. Through the peeling paint on the gate they could make out faded Kanji that probably once spelled out "Welcome to beautiful Creekbed Village!", although it was too worn to tell exactly. As they entered the town, they saw a bunch of old houses and buildings. Some had collapsed roofs, letting water run into the ruined buildings. The place smelled of rotting wood mixed with the usual forest scent. Hanamaru noticed a hornet's nest under a roof overhang, although it looked long unoccupied. The place was covered in worn dirt and gravel roads which hadn't been used for who knows how long. They came up on an old building that must've been a bar or restaurant when they heard a creaking noise. Riko clung to Yoshiko's shoulder. Stepping out of the building was a girl dressed in a black hoodie and a very punk getup. She gave Yoshiko a smile and walked over to them. Yoshiko gave her a hard glare in return.

"Man, it's 'bout time you showed up." The girl said. "The girls are waiting inside, follow me. Oh, and just for references sake, the name's Flora."

She led them into the building, which had a bunch of tables and such thrown to the side except for a bench placed in the middle.

"Wait here, the show's about to get started!" She said with a surprising amount of enthusiasm instead of the condescending manner they read in the letter. She ran behind a giant curtain on a stage in front of them. They waited a moment before the curtain started to roll open. Yoshiko swallowed. They strained their eyes to see on stage until a flash of white light blinded them. When they opened their eyes they saw something they never would've expected. Powered by a generator, two flood lights illuminated 3 performers. They all had similar looks in terms of clothing but their appearances otherwise gave off a completely different vibe. Flora stood on the right with a base guitar, giving a smile that gave off a surprising amount of warmth. On the left was a girl with a deadpan expression, sitting behind a large drum set. A pair of rectangular glasses sat on her nose. She let herself spin back and forth to amuse herself. In the center of the stage was a girl who looked strikingly like Kanan, except she had dark purple hair with black tips in the front. She had a guitar strapped around her shoulder, clapping slowly as she gave them a sinister grin.

"Well done Aqours, well done. You won Love Live. You got the gold. Aren't you just a special talented bunch?" Her last sentence she said with a more bitter tone.

"Why did you ask us here? You better have a good reason to threaten my mother like that."

"Patience 'little demon', just listen and Karla here will tell you everything! We've got a special song we wrote ourselves to share with you. Ready girls?" Flora nodded enthusiastically. The other girl hardened her gaze and nodded lightly. Karla began the song, playing a riff that Yoshiko immediately knew sounded familiar. Once the lyrics started, they realized the song was Saint Snow's 'Self Control'. The two in the back sung the lyrics normally performed by Leah and Sarah, but once the medley kicked in Karla began to shout into the mic.

"Confused are you? I bet you thought precious Saint Snow made this song didn't you? WELL THEY DIDN'T! Saint Snow wasn't always 2 members, we used to be a part of them! We are the ghosts of Saint Snow, lurking in their shadows looking for revenge! We will stop at nothing to get back at them for ditching us, as we did 4 years ago!"

"4...years ago? Wait, you don't mean-"

"HELL YEAH THAT'S WHAT I MEAN! We tampered with Leah's shoes to guarantee that little fall of hers! If only I could've seen the look on her face live!" Karla began to violently shred her guitar out of tune with the rest of the song. "THAT BITCH GOT EVERYTHING SHE DESERVED UNTIL YOU SHOWED UP! I WANTED HER TO SUFFER, BUT YOU...IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU LOT I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN MY REVENGE!"

" _They were a part of Saint Snow?"_ Yoshiko thought to herself astounded. " _What could have happened to make them split up like this? Why didn't they ever mention this to me?"_

Karla ended her angry shred just as the song finished up. The 3 Aqours members locked eyes with the ex-Saint Snow members, staring wordlessly at each other as if daring each other to make the first move.

"It's rude not to clap after a performance." Karla muttered. The 3 of them complied, clapping nervously.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Flora called out with a two handed wave. "If we had a band to back us up, perhaps we could show you our dance moves next time!"

"Look at poor Flora." Karla spoke with a hint of tenderness. "She's been dying to perform for ages, and the first crowd she meets doesn't even know to clap for a job well done." Karla spit off to the side and hopped down off stage. Flora and the girl with glasses followed suit.

"I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention. We once wanted to be idols too, but we had to quit because of circumstances. Seeing your group just become famous again because you can...when we put our hearts and souls into our music to get jack in return...tell me, how do you think that feels?"

"We lost Uranohoshi." Yoshiko said, stepping forward and looking Karla straight in the eye. "We lost our school that we tried so hard to save! Maybe you need to do a bit of research before you boldly state we haven't lost anything you edgy bitch."

"Y-Yoshiko!" Riko said, taken aback by Yoshiko's harshness. Yoshiko put her hand on Karla's shoulder and gave her a condescending smile. "By the way, kindly refer to me as Yohane, got it?" She finished giving Karla a shove back. Karla's eye twitched angrily. Karla unstrapped her guitar and held it by the neck like an axe.

"Perhaps I need to...convince you a bit. You two, make sure they don't escape." The three of them made a run for it. They ran for the gate they used to get in, unfortunately leaving the flashlight behind in the diner.

"Why did none of you grab the flashlight!?" Yoshiko said in a panic.

"You were the one holding it, zura. You were in charge of it!"

"S-Shut up!"

As they made their way to the entrance, they found the gate was locked shut. Riko momentarily shook the gate in futility.

"No, no, no, no! Why is it locked!?" They must've been following us and locked us in!"

"We can escape through the forest somewhere!" Hanamaru said, motioning for them to follow. They ran into an old empty building that looked stable enough to look for an escape route from. Riko popped open her phone and tried contacting Kanan. Unfortunately, there was no cell signal in the middle of nowhere.

"Why did we think phones would work?" Riko said frantically.

"Don't ask me, that was Kanan's idea!" Hanamaru said as she helped look for a way through.

"There's no exit here, let's try another building!" Riko said before turning to the doorway with a yelp. Karla stood in the doorway with a flashlight shining at the three of them.

"Flora, Reina, we got em! Now come restrain these two, I want Yoshiko for myself!"

The two girls rushed in, Flora charging at Riko and the other girl apparently named Reina cornering Hanamaru. They both were caught in a headlock, being brought behind Karla near the doorway.

"Yoooooshikooooo~" Karla spoke like a creepy siren's song. "It's time for you to learn a bit of discipline." She reeled back her guitar and prepared to take a swing. Neither Riko nor Hanamaru could see the look on Yoshiko's face.

"DON'T YOU TALK DOWN ON ME!" Karla screamed as she took her swing.

* * *

Yoshiko groaned as her blurry vision grew clearer. She could hear a few muffled voices which started becoming more clear as she regained consciousness. As she regained her senses, she felt a sharp release of pain in the side of her head. She touched the side of her head instinctively, feeling some sort of soft material covering the area.

"Where...Where am I?" She said partially slurred.

"You're at a hospital sweetheart." Came a soothing voice from somewhere around her. As her vision came back to her, she found herself in a hospital bed with a large bandage strapped to the right side of her head. She looked in the direction of the voice, finding her mother sitting there with tearful eyes.

"M-Mom? What ha-" Yoshiko was cut short as her mother gave her a hard slap on the cheek. Before Yoshiko could say anything else, her mother gave her a tight hug.

"Don't do anything stupid like that ever again, you hear me? If someone threatens you like that you call the police, not rush into the middle of the woods and do what they want you to, got it? What would I do without you?"

"...Sorry...mom…" She said apologetically. Suddenly, Yoshiko's eyes burst open in a moment of panic.

"W-Where's Riko!? W-Where's Hanamaru!?" Are they-"

"I'm right here, Zura." Hanamaru said from the opposite side of Yoshiko. She looked unharmed luckily, but her expression was unreadable.

"Oh thank goodness, I was worried they gave you some sort of injury like me...but what about Riko?"

"Physically, no she isn't hurt but...psychologically it's been hard on her. Apparently she's blaming herself for this, all I've heard her say is 'I shouldn't have let this happen' and 'I'm so sorry', zura."

"Is there...anything we can do?"

"For now, I think time is best to heal. Give her time, there's no way we can tour with your head still injured. Thankfully the rest of your body is fine."

"How did you all get away from them? I remember her finding us and then...it all went black."

"Apparently Kanan said she was using the bathroom as an excuse to get away from Mari long enough to call the police because she got worried. When the police arrived the three of them weren't anywhere to be seen, but they found you out cold with me trying to comfort Riko. The part that must've traumatized her was that she thought you were killed." Yoshiko looked sadly down at her hands.

"Why am I so brash at the worst times? If I hadn't lost my cool, none of you would've had to deal with this. I should be the one to apologize." Yoshiko partially hoped someone would say otherwise but all she got was silence. A doctor came into the room, noticing she was awake.

"Ah, Mrs. Tsushima! You're awake! Lucky for you, aside from losing consciousness and some blood from the injury you're perfectly fine! Your wound is healing great, so by tomorrow you'll be ready to leave. Oh! And this letter came for you!"

"T-Thanks." Yoshiko said nervously. " _They couldn't be trying to hurt me anymore, could they?"_

"Don't worry Yoshiko, it's not them." The doctor assured her. "The two of them were detained just an hour ago, so they can't get you in police custody."

"Two of them? But there were three there that night!"

The doctor shrugged.

"We're still getting the details. This happened only yesterday, and the girls should finish questioning this afternoon." The doctor politely bowed and walked off, leaving Yoshiko with the mystery letter. Anxiously, she opened the letter. The handwriting was different. Yoshiko cleared her throat and began to read aloud to the anxious group.

"I'm sure you know what this is about. I saw the news and I need to tell you a few things you should probably know. Meet us at our cafe tomorrow, about 12:00. I'm sure you have a few questions yourself. Best of luck with recovery, Leah Kazuno."


	5. Chapter 5: Fallen Snow

Chapter 5: Fallen Snow

It had been at least 4 years since anyone from Aqours visited Hakodate, let alone met up with any of Saint Snow's members. Yoshiko, Hanamaru and Riko had come along, Ruby skipping happily along in front in a much brighter mood than her companions. She'd asked to come along to say hi to the ex-saints personally.

"Someone's in a happy mood, zura."

"We're seeing old friends for the first time in ages! How couldn't I be happy? Aren't you?"

"Well of course, but she made it clear she has something serious to tell us about. What worries me is that there could be some validity to what those 'ghosts of Saint Snow' were saying." Hanamaru said, air quoting.

"I know I know, but that doesn't mean you should be so down about this. They're our friends, the least we can do is act nicely." Ruby said. Yoshiko and Hanamaru gave her a long stare.

"PIGII! D-Did I say something weird?"

"You sounded like Dia there for a second." Yoshiko said with a friendly smirk. "Don't you think so too Riko?"

"H-Huh!? Oh, yeah, yeah...right, yeah." Riko went back to sadly staring at her own feet. She was better than the other day, but she still had this saddened look to her that showed she clearly wasn't completely over it. Finally, they arrived at the restaurant where Leah and Sarah worked. Ruby excitedly ran into the building with a bright smile. Sarah turned around with a warm smile, still wearing her uniform from her shift earlier. They had closed up shop early to keep the conversation private, neither of the two had any intentions of it being shown to the public eye.

"It's been a while." Sarah said with a bow. "Take a seat at this table, I'll go fetch Leah."

Yoshiko sat near the head of the table, Hanamaru taking a seat next to her; Ruby sat across from Yoshiko. Riko sat at the head of the table on Hanamaru's side, allowing her to avoid eye contact with Yoshiko. Sarah returned with Leah, who had a more serious look on her face. Upon seeing Ruby however, her mood clearly improved. Ruby stood up, giving Leah a big hug.

"I didn't know you were coming Ruby!"

"I asked to come along myself to catch up on old times! After all it's been what, 4 years now?"

"It seems it has. I wish we could've met up on a brighter note, but there's something you need to know about us, about Saint Snow." Leah sat down at the opposite end of Riko, putting her hands together in a fist almost like an old movie villain. All eyes were on Leah.

"Karla...Reina...Flora...the three of them weren't lying when they claimed to be a part of Saint Snow. On top of that, she has a perfectly valid reason for hating me as much as she does. Allow me start from the beginning."

* * *

"K-Karla, are you sure we're gonna be alright?"

"It's fine Reina! Your shyness completely vanishes when you start drumming, remember?"

"B-But what if I sound like a mess? What if I-"

"Reina, we're just kids!" Karla said with an encouraging smile. "We got lots of room to grow!"

"Ooooh, I'm so excited!" Flora said bouncing up and down uncontrollably. "Our! First! Concert! I thought I'd have to wait until we were older to do this!"

"I never thought I'd get the chance to do this as a middle schooler!" Karla said with a mix of excitement and determination on her face. They heard the beeping of a buzzer and the lights started to fade on the other side of the curtain.

"I wonder if the crowd is big…" Reina said under her breath.

"Here we go girls!" Flora said, holding her pic in position.

"This is it...our first concert!" Karla brimmed with a glow of joy. The curtains started to rise. The girls sat with baited breath as the light from the stage revealed the audience. Their parents sat in the front row, and besides them...not a soul. The girls stared out at the vast sea of empty seats, eyes wide with shock and disappointment. Their parents could only give them pitied looks in sympathy.

"W-Well, we didn't come here for nothing, so let's get the show rolling!" Karla said in an attempt to stay positive. Reina began the song with a classic one two three beat of her drumsticks. The group watched the empty rows throughout the song, hoping someone would show up.

" _This can't be it...we put up posters and everything! We worked so hard for this...This can't be it, this can't be it…"_ Karla ran through her head what felt like a million times. Karla played the last note of the song, not a single person coming through the doors. Karla's hand began to shake. The other two looked at her sadly as Karla began sobbing lightly. " _We worked so hard...all three of us...why can't we stand out? What are we doing wrong!?"_ Karla then began to hear the sound of clapping from the back of the auditorium, two sets in fact. Looking up, she saw two girls everyone knew well at school.

"L-Leah!? S-Sarah!? What are you-" Leah smiled warmly. Once they reached the stage, Leah held out her hand.

"We have to ask you something. Do you girls wanna shine?"

"I...I guess?"

"Come on, say it with a little more meaning!" Sarah encouraged.

"I want to shine! All of us!" Karla said with a proud voice.

"Saint Snow can't really perform as well without a band. Come with us, we'll help you reach those dreams of yours! Together!"

Reina and Flora walked over to Karla. Reina stared at Karla with a look of wonder in her eyes. Flora nodded with her hands up by her head excitedly. Karla looked at her two closest friends, her only two friends, with knowing looks. Karla held out her hands and held Leah and Sarah's hands.

"We'll do it! I promise to do my best as a part of Saint Snow!"

* * *

"...Karla and her friends were always outcasts in school, but we were the polar opposite." Leah continued. "Everyone loved our idol group. We were quite popular, getting all the attention. We noticed their flier, interested in the same type of music they played. When we saw those girls giving their all without anyone so much as giving them a chance...we decided then and there we would help them get the limelight they deserved. We played numerous concerts, all of us learning to play guitar, dance and the like. They finally were popular. Loved by fans. Cared for by fellow members. Unfortunately...they flunked the entrance exam into Seisen Academy, and were forced to go to another school. The school they went to was nowhere near as great as Seisen, and nobody would let them become an idol or even a band. We carried on the name, even using a song they had written: Self Control. Karla was no doubt furious we'd just continue on without them after all we did together. We had shown them the light and cast them aside like nothing had happened. In other words, our first Love Live with just the two of us was…"

"...Our first one too." Hanamaru finished for her.

"Remember how I thought you all weren't taking it seriously? What got me mad...what got us mad was that people like Karla were trying their hardest and getting nowhere...thinking you saw it as just something you could gain popularity off of without much effort...something deep down snapped. I loathed you for it. Luckily I see now that you're not those type of people. Perhaps Karla's feeling what we felt then...and probably even further than that because of me and Sarah."

"So...how come they're choosing to pursue both of us now?" Yoshiko asked warily.

"No doubt they found out about you when looking at the aftermath of our regional. I'm sure you interfering with their quarrel left a bad taste in their mouths. With you getting back into the idol business, they probably saw their opportunity to get back at you."

"But...why target Yoshiko?" Ruby inquired. "If they'd target anyone, it would be me."

"They knew Dia would get protective of Ruby and forbid her from going along with this. To them, Yoshiko seemed like the easiest to anger and get the better of." Yoshiko gave Leah a suspicious look.

"You said that almost like they told you that themselves."

"That's because they did." Leah replied, sending a wave of shock across the table.

"Last night I went to talk to them after their questioning. Karla refused to talk to me, but Reina was willing to cooperate. She told me about the whole incident herself, including the reason they chose you Yoshiko." Yoshiko tugged her collar awkwardly.

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it."

"Relax Yoshiko, it was just a question. Either way, Reina didn't seem encouraged to pursue you all any further. I'd keep an eye on Karla though."

"What about Flora?" Hanamaru asked. Leah fell silent. Her expression seemed unreadable.

"No idea either huh? Don't worry, I'm sure they'll find Flora sometime soon." Hanamaru reassured. "Any thoughts Riko?"

"H-HUH!? Oh no, I'm...I'm fine!"

"You're a terrible liar, zura."

"I just...er...I think I'll be leaving now." Riko stammered before scampering out the door, leaving behind a cloud of dust and the sound of fast paced fading footsteps. Hanamaru sighed.

"She's been like that ever since the incident. Did they do anything to her Leah?"

"Karla's anger was mostly directed at Yoshiko after she got insulted, so Riko was relatively untouched. If anything, she's probably upset because of what happened to Yoshiko."

"I feel like something's missing though." Yoshiko said with worry. "It seems she's more avoiding me than anything, and she insists her fault in some part of this. Are you absolutely sure something else didn't happen?"

"As far as I know, no. After making their escape, they left you all by yourselves a while." Yoshiko's expression started to fill with dread.

"Making...their escape? What happened after I blacked out?"

"I can't say." Leah said, crossing her arms. "Reina wasn't there with you, so I don't know anything beyond that."

"Zuramaru? You were there. Do you know of anything that might have happened?"

"I mentioned before that she thought you were dead. Keep in mind she was the first one to volunteer to help so she probably feels responsible, zura." Yoshiko looked down at her fiddling fingers sadly.

"Should...we go after her?"

"Let her be, zura. At least for now. You can probably talk to her tonight; she's long gone at this point."

* * *

The rest of the day was much more lighthearted. Ruby and Leah made up for lost time and exchanged numbers so they could keep in touch. Sarah did the courtesy of making lunch for everyone while they caught up on the times. Meanwhile, Riko had gone straight home after dashing away. She stared sadly out the window at the sunset, listening to the light rumble of the train as it made its way across the countryside.

" _I feel so cornered…"_ Riko thought to herself worriedly. " _I don't want things to go on like this, but at the same time...I'm scared to confront her. I don't want to remember what happened that night...how could she not remember? I've never been that terrified in my life...I thought I was the reason she was dead...even if I wasn't, she very well could've died. Why can't I say anything? Do I really have this little self-confidence? I'm so sorry Yoshiko..."_

Riko stared at her feet as she approached her house. She unlocked the door and reached out to turn the handle when a note on the door caught her eye.

The note read: "Gone out for dinner with a few old friends. I'll be back around 9:00 tonight! Love, mom." sighing, Riko opened the door and made her way inside. Taking off her shoes, she made her way inside as the worrying thoughts continued to circulate. She entered her bedroom, dropping her bag lazily on her desk and flopping down on the bed. She stared into space, glancing around her room with no particular goal in mind. She took a look at the clock. It read 6:32 PM. Her mind raced for what seemed like hours until the sun began to set. Her stomach growled, making her realize she hadn't had dinner. She headed towards the kitchen, running through her head what she could have left over. Upon reaching the kitchen, she saw someone standing next to the counter looking back at her.

"Y-Y-Yoshiko!? H-How did you get in my house?"

"Huh? The front door was unlocked."

Riko cursed under her breath. She stood there for a second, locking eyes with Yoshiko before making a mad dash back down her hallway.

"Riko!? Why are you running away from me!?" Yoshiko called after, giving chase. The hallway was a chorus of thumping feet as Riko darted back towards her room. Thankfully for her, Shiitake had given her plenty of practice with being chased indoors. She darted into her room and locked the door with a click. A few seconds later, she heard Yoshiko fiddle with the lock in a failed attempt to open the door.

"Riko, open up!"

"No! Get away from me!"

"Riko I just want to talk!"

"I said leave me be!"

Riko felt a little more at ease with the door between them, but she felt bad somehow.

"Riko...there's something going on, something I don't know about. We were friends just a few days ago and now…and now…"

Riko and Yoshiko both leaned their backs up against the door collecting their thoughts. They both stared sadly at their feet.

"It's just…" Riko finally began. "...after everything that happened that night...how could you just forget? Both me and Hanamaru were terrified beyond belief. We thought we lost you. How could that just...just...fade? I don't understand…"

"I got hit hard in the side of the head remember? That knocked me unconscious! How could I remember something I wasn't able to witness? I don't even remember what knocked me out!"

"But...but that makes no sense! Wouldn't your memory be cut off at the point you were hit? How can I believe you when...when…"

Riko felt the push on the door vanish. Yoshiko had leaned off the door, staring down the empty hallway.

"You...don't trust me?"

"W-What? Of course I...well I-" Riko fumbled with her words. She couldn't think of an excuse.

"I had...hoped you trusted me enough to tell me what happened but...I guess that wasn't the case." Yoshiko said with a quiet voice. Riko felt yet another turmoil building within her. This time, she had a feeling in her gut that was screaming for her to believe in Yoshiko. Feeling worried, she took a look through the eyehole in her door. Her heart snapped as she saw Yoshiko silently weep on the other side, looking down the dark hallway with a tear falling down her cheek.

" _Riko you idiot! She's all upset because of something stupid you kept throwing about in your head. She's a concerned friend, not a monster meaning you harm! What the hell are you waiting for, open the damn door!"_

There was a click as the door was unlocked. Riko let the door creak open slowly, making Yoshiko look up at her with a mix of sadness and surprise.

"Alright...I'll tell you everything. You're my friend, I need to put my trust in you over some stupid meaningless hunch." Yoshiko wiped away her tears and gave a sad smile. They both entered, Riko taking a seat on her bed with a creak and Yoshiko standing at the foot of her bed. Riko fiddled her thumbs as she began to explain everything.

"I've been avoiding you because...I thought you'd be mad at me after everything that happened. I could've been the reason you died...it just didn't make sense."

"How could I be mad at you? You shouldn't pin this on yourself, anything those girls did to me was their fault not yours!"

"You...really don't remember do you?" Riko said with a hint of worry. Yoshiko felt a weight building over her, becoming harder to bear with every passing second. There wasn't a pit in her stomach, it felt like her entire body was imploding.

"W-What do you mean by that? Karla was going to hurt us with that guitar, and I thought…"

Riko's silence made Yoshiko so anxious she could feel herself visibly shaking. Her lips and eyebrows began to quiver. Her fingers started to twitch uncontrollably. She could hardly breathe.

"Please don't get mad at me when I say this but...it wasn't Karla who caused that wound."

"But then...who was it? Was it Reina? Flora?" Riko clenched her teeth, holding back tears from dripping down her petrified face. Yoshiko suddenly had a horrifying thought. Her eyes started to widen in fear as she realized it had to be the explanation.

"...that's...no way...why would…"

"I didn't have a choice...if I didn't throw that stone then...then…" Yoshiko gulped. Her mind raced trying to think about what could've happened. Nothing added up.

"Then...what?"

"If I didn't do something then...then...you would've...killed Hanamaru…"

Yoshiko stumbled backwards, falling on her butt in shock.

"I...what? That can't be…" Yoshiko said with panic rising in her voice. "I would never...how could I...that...that can't be true!"

"It's true, zura." Came a voice from the doorway. Hanamaru stood there with a serious look on her face. "I had a feeling you would be here. I see you two finally talked about this?"

"H-Hanamaru!" Riko said with surprise. "How did you get in here too?"

"You really need to learn to lock doors, zura." She cleared her throat and looked down at the grief stricken Yoshiko.

"Oh god...I swear I don't remember anything...I would never-"

"Yoshiko, calm down. I think it's time I told you about what really happened. But before that I need a promise from the two of you. NOTHING we discuss here leaves this room, do you understand?" Yoshiko and Riko nodded, eyes focused on Hanamaru.

"Since you blacked out when Karla found you, I'll start from there.

* * *

"Yoooooshikooooo~" Karla spoke like a creepy siren's song. "It's time for you to learn a bit of discipline." She reeled back her guitar and prepared to take a swing. Neither Riko nor Hanamaru could see the look on Yoshiko's face.

"DON'T YOU TALK DOWN ON ME!" Karla screamed as she took her swing. Right before the guitar hit, Yoshiko reached up with one hand and grabbed the side of the guitar almost effortlessly.

"H-Hey! Let go of my guita-" Karla said angrily, cut off by herself as Yoshiko put her other hand on the guitar and ripping it out of Karla's hands. She took it by the neck and using her bare hands snapped the neck clean in two. She tossed the pieces aside before reaching out towards Karla. As a bit of moonlight illuminated Yoshiko, Karla stepped backwards out of reach. The face that had just minutes ago been a smug cocky smile was now stricken with genuine terror. Karla glanced over at the other girls.

"REINA! FLORA! RUN FOR IT, NOW!" She screamed, dashing out of the building. Reina and Flora exchanged fearful glances, letting Riko and Hanamaru go as they dashed in pursuit. Riko sighed in relief.

"Wow...I never knew you had that in you, Yoshiko!" in a mix of relief and surprise. That feeling soon faded to dread as Yoshiko began to reach towards them in the same fashion. Her breath was labored and aggressive, as if the sound of someone's breath had been put into an audio file and had tiny sections removed here and there. The two of them started to shuffle towards the doorway with eyes locked on Yoshiko. Then in a deep voice, Yoshiko spoke a single two words that sent shivers down their spines.

"GET...OUT…"

They made a mad dash out of the cabin, running back into the empty streets. Riko looked over her shoulder to see Yoshiko walk out of the cabin. She turned their way and pursued them at lightning speed. Riko yelped, turning her head back and panting in fear as she ran for her life. He feet burned with each step, darting by building after building looking for a way around.

"THERE!" Yelled Hanamaru, pointing to a small alleyway that led out into the forest. They darted down the pathway and into the woods, creating a mix of squishing noises as they trampled wet earth and moss. Soon there was only the sounds of their harsh quickened breathing in the dense void of the forest.

"Did...did we lose her?" Riko said, regaining her breath.

"I...hope so…" Hanamaru gasped. They paused to listen. It was dead quiet. Looking through the trees they saw the main road in the distance. "Looks like it's safe. Come on, let's get out of here."

Riko tailed Hanamaru as they walked cautiously towards the road. Riko looked up at a large tree as they walked past it, making out bits of moss and other plant material on it's large trunk. Her attention snapped back as Hanamaru let out a tiny shriek before being silenced. Yoshiko had emerged from one side of the tree and grabbed Hanamaru by the throat, lifting her up into the air with immense strength. Hanamaru gagged for air, grabbing Yoshiko's hands and kicking in futility. Hanamaru opened her eyes and saw what had frightened Karla so much. Yoshiko had a soulless stare, pupils dilated as if looking into a bright light. Her face conveyed no further emotion, nothing more than cold murderous intent. Hanamaru tried to scream, but all that came out was a few gasps. Her vision began to blur.

" _I can't breathe...if she keeps this up...I'll probably die...Yoshiko...Yohane...whoever you are...please…"_

Right as she was about to slip into unconsciousness, she saw something strike Yoshiko in the side of the head. Yoshiko and Hanamaru fell to the ground, Hanamaru gasping as she regained oxygen. She weakly turned her head up to see Yoshiko lying still with a massive wound in the side of her head. A bloodied rock laid next to her head. Hanamaru turned in Riko's direction to find her trembling with terror plastered on her face.

"Oh...god...don't tell me I just…" Riko staggered over to the motionless body, seeing full well the damage that had been done. She stared at her own hands and began to shake uncontrollably.

"...Oh dear god...I'm a murderer...I'm a murderer...I didn't...I DIDN'T MEAN IT!" Riko devolved into grieved blood curdling screams, alerting a plethora of lights and faint voices in the distance. Kanan's police brigade had arrived.


	6. Chapter 6: Kowareyasuki

Chapter 6: Kowareyasuki

The following day, the police case was closed. Due to a lack of evidence and no way of understanding the night's events further than witness accounts, no charges could be placed. Karla and Reina were set for release that same day. Yoshiko stood at the window with that morning's newspaper in her hand. She stared outside at the ocean from the studio without a word.

"Do you think they're going to keep trying to stop us?"

Yoshiko turned around to see Riko walk up to her with a look of concern.

"Probably not. After all that happened I seriously doubt they could even find a way to organize themselves. It's thrown us all for a big loop."

"No kidding. I don't even have the words to describe how I feel…"

"I assume you read the report too?" Yoshiko said, gesturing it in Riko's direction.

"No, why's that?"

"There's...something I think you need to see." Yoshiko said pointing to a small section of text. Riko scanned the lines before grabbing the paper to read it closer. Her pupils darted back and forth like an explorer deciphering some ancient tablet from long ago intensely.

"Oh...oh dear…"

* * *

Leah laid in her bed staring at the snowglobe on her shelf. She didn't want to do anything but allow her thoughts to circle endlessly. She didn't want to believe it, but the news only confirmed her fears. Sarah pushed open the door with a gentle creak, causing Leah to lazily look up with just her pupils.

"Feeling any better?" Sarah asked, walking over to her bedside and sitting down next to Leah's head. Leah responded with a sad unintelligible noise. Sarah caressed her head lightly.

"I didn't want to believe it either, but I guess Reina wasn't lying. I'm guessing you had a reason not to tell Ruby and the bunch about it before?"

Leah pushed herself forward to rest her head against the side of Sarah's leg.

"I was hoping she just wanted us to keep away from them or to sadden us enough to stay out of it...I wanted to believe that but...but…"

Leah began to soak Sarah's leg with teardrops, sobbing lightly. Sarah continued to pat her head comfortingly.

"There, there…"

* * *

The three girls ran through the soaked dense forest frantically following Karla. They breathed frantically with the beam of their flashlight darting around the forest in front of them as Karla's hand swung all over the place. At long last, they paused to take a breath of air. The girls stared at Karla's terrified face with astoundment. Normally Karla was almost impossible to scare, yet here she was with the most terrified look on her face the girls had ever seen.

"What...what the hell was that!?" Karla gasped between heavy breaths.

"K-Karla? What do you mean? All I saw was Yoshiko!" Flora asked worriedly.

"That look in her eyes...even the cold stares she gave earlier weren't even close to that. I know what someone looks like when they're angry...that look she had only showed a will to murder…it was so empty...so lifeless...I felt like if I stayed there she would've killed us all…"

"But...what made her act that way?" Reina asked in a poor attempt to regain composure. "In all my analysis of her, even of her whole 'Yohane' persona, I never saw anything close to that!"

"Do you think…" Flora asked with her eyes on the two girls "...that was even Yoshiko?"

Just then, Riko's screams echoed through the forest far enough for the ex-saints to hear. Their attention snapped to the direction of the scream with petrified expressions, Karla pointing her flashlight frantically at the trees with a shaky hand. Flora backed away slowly, eyes on the same place the others were. Then everything descended into chaos. The other members turned around at the sound of a large crack. The damp soil, wet from the morning's shower had loosened up, allowing the ground to crack apart. The ground under Flora's feet gave way, causing her to tumble down the edge of a steep cliff with a terrified scream.

"FLORA!" Karla yelled in horror, darting her flashlight along the edge of the cliff face. She grabbed hold of a tree in a steep but walkable path down to Flora. She practically ran with the momentum, trees and leaves smacking her in the face as she descended. Near the bottom she tripped on a rock and started to tumble down the hill. Finally she reached the bottom, coming to rest on a flat rock which held a large puddle that splashed her as she landed. She stood up, frantically waving her flashlight in an attempt to locate Flora. Reina watched from the top, shaking in terror. She couldn't see what was in the darkness at the bottom, but she could make out what Karla's light illuminated.

"Flora, are you ok!? Answer me! Can you he-" Karla yelled, cutting off as she saw Flora lying limp in a mess of rocks with cuts and bruises lining her body. Karla climbed through the mess of dirt and rocks frantically as she ran to Flora's side. She illuminated Flora with the light. She was unconscious.

"Flora are you ok!? Don't worry, we'll get you to a hospital as quick as we can!" Karla said, trying to figure out how to carry her.

"Flora come on, please wake up!" She said, turning her head to try slapping her cheeks to wake her. Then she saw the other side of her head. It was coated in blood, a large rock impaled into her skull just above the ear. She was dead on impact. Karla's hands trembled, and her breathing turned pained. Reina managed to make it out from the top, leaning up against a tree and vomiting. Karla could only stare in horror at her old friend, lying dead in her arms.

"Oh dear god... Flora...we promised...we promised we'd be back together like old times...please wake up...this...this can't be happening… **FLORAAAAAAAAAAAA!** "

* * *

A policeman waved goodbye as Reina and Karla walked free. Reina walked with her hands folded and stared down at her feet as she dragged them along. Karla ran to catch up to her.

"Hey, wait up Reina!" Karla called after her, slowing down as she came to Reina's side. Reina remained silent. The two walked side by side quietly for a little while before Karla spoke up.

"What a fine mess this is. I don't even know what we should do anymore! Any thoughts?"

"Karla, do you mind giving me some space?"

"And leave you alone by yourself? No way! I can't just leave my friend like this." Karla said while throwing her arm over Reina's shoulder. Reina's expression hardened, but she didn't say anything. They walked on in silence for several blocks. At some points, Reina tried walking faster only for Karla to increase her pace to keep up. Eventually they got to an empty street with nobody else there. Seeing her chance for a private discussion, Karla leaned in with a hushed voice.

"I guess there's only one thing left to do. I'm not just gonna stand here and let those girls get away with this! This is all Yoshiko's fault, I swear I'll make her pay for what she-"

Karla was cut off as Reina gave her a hard slap on the cheek. Reina glared daggers at her with clenched teeth.

"You make me sick, Karla. Our friend, our dear friend we grew up with, dies in a godforsaken forest and all you can do is pin blame on someone else!?"

"Reina, what are you talking about? We all wanted to get revenge on-"

"No, YOU wanted revenge! All Flora wanted to do was for us to get back on our feet and live life again! She didn't want revenge, she wanted us to be together again! But you...you derailed us into some stupid quest for vengeance! Now look what you've led us into!"

"B-But Yoshiko-"

"Stop blaming this on Yoshiko, the only one responsible for this is you! You're the reason Flora's dead, you're the reason we can never be a band again! We could've been a band again! Now what of those dreams!?"

"I just-"

"Karla, stop it! Leave me the hell alone!" She yelled before running down the street away from Karla. Karla stood there in shock, Reina's words echoing in her mind. Sighing, she fell back into silence.

Holding back tears, she made her way to a nearby store to grab something to drink. She hadn't had anything good to drink while detained. " _Something sweet might help me calm down."_ she thought as the doors of the convenience store opened with a soft whoosh of air accompanied by a soft chime from a small speaker.

"Good afternoon, miss!" Said the cheerful cashier behind the desk.

"A-Afternoon."

Karla went to the back of the store to browse the various drinks they had available. She allowed her finger to drift between the various drinks, stopping briefly by the alcoholic beverages. " _No Karla, drinking away sorrows isn't going to do you any good! What in the world are you doing?"_ The question rattled around in her mind over and over, barraging her almost to tears. As she stood there, she failed to notice someone appear behind her. They reached around and groped her chest firmly, causing her to raise her arm and throw back her elbow at the assailer. They dodged the attack with an exaggerated pose.

"Jeez Kanan, there's no need to be so aggressive!" Said the cheerful harasser, who Karla immediately recognized as Mari. As Mari got a closer look at her face, she shot upright in surprise.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I thought you were someone else!" Mari said with a gasp.

"I'd have to wonder who would be fine with you doing that." Karla said firmly. Seeing the more serious look, Mari suddenly hardened her gaze and got up close to Karla.

"Hmm…"

"H-Hey, you're a bit close!"

"I know your face from somewhere...but where?"

Mari turned around and tapped the top of her head with her finger repeatedly. She then added another finger from her other hand as well, saying 'hmmm' to herself. She then held her hand up and took in a deep breath.

"Aha! I have figured out your identity! You are…" Mari posed with her finger pointed at Karla. Mari stood there for a moment before changing her pose. She put her hand on her waist and her other hand on her chin, tapping as if pondering. " _This chick is crazy!"_ Karla thought with her lip twitching in an awkward smile.

"Er, my name is-"

"Oh I already know it's Karla. I was just having a bit of fun." Mari said with a wink. Karla stood there speechless for a few moments.

"So...you're teasing me?"

"Non, non, non, I was hoping to cheer you up since you're all blue!"

"But...why? I said all that awful stuff...I threatened you all...you can't have at least a little wish for spite!"

"I'm just not that type of person." Mari said with surprising maturity. "I always enjoy putting a smile on peoples faces, and besides, after reading that article in the paper I figured that you could use a little cheering up."

Karla stared at Mari's glowing face. " _After what I did to her friends...she still wanted to cheer me up? Why?"_

"Why did you want to become an idol?" Mari asked in a friendly tone. Karla hesitated before continuing.

"I just wanted to be loved, to be cared for, for someone to notice me...But what do I do now? I couldn't possibly be an idol or even be a part of a band without Flora…"

"There isn't just one way to shine you know. You've made mistakes before, but I know Flora's passing has to be making you think real real deep, right?"

"T-That's…" Karla began in protest, only to stop herself. A few seconds later she nodded with her gaze averted.

"Sometimes we give our all but luck evades us just enough to cause a failure. Losing Uranohoshi taught us all that. Just because of the past's events doesn't mean you can't make a future for yourself."

"..."

"Whatever the case, I wish you the best!" Mari said waving to her as she cheerfully skipped out of the store. It was only then Karla noticed Mari hadn't actually bought anything from the store.

"What a weirdo." Karla said quietly to herself. Somehow she couldn't help but smile a bit though.

* * *

Karla chugged the last few drops of her soda as she walked back to her apartment. She let out a loud belch, grinning at her own indignity. Dropping the bottle in a nearby trash can, she came up upon the entrance to her apartment. As she entered the lobby, she noticed a young woman she had never seen before talking to one of the employees who helped run the complex. Karla walked over curiously, the woman waving in a friendly manner when she noticed Karla.

"Oh, hello there! Do you live in one of the apartments here?"

"Yeah, I'm on the third floor. Need help with something?"

"I'm new here, would you be able to help me get to my apartment?" She asked, shifting nervously. She seemed to either have some sort of social anxiety or just was really nervous about the move in.

"Uh yeah sure, which room are you in?"

"Room 412."

Karla could've sworn her heart skipped a beat.

"W-Wait can I see that key to be sure?" Karla said, filling with dread. The woman held up the room key in her hand, the small plastic sealed note attached clearly reading the numbers "412". Room 412 was supposed to belong to Reina. Karla ran up to the person behind the desk.

"W-Where's Reina!?" She said in a voice that was rising in panic.

"I hate to tell you this but she already cancelled her contract with us via telephone. The last of her stuff was packed up and shipped off this morning."

"Did she say where she was going?"

"Not a clue, but I believe the stuff is being transported via train so the station is my best guess. She dropped by briefly earlier to sign the legal documents, then left for what I assume to be the train station. The train leaves soon, so you might be able to catch her."

Karla made a mad dash out of the building, leaving the poor woman bewildered by the whole situation. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her towards the station, frantically darting through confused onlookers. " _Reina...why? Why are you doing this? You didn't need to go this far! I was stupid sure, but that doesn't mean you have to run away! Please be on time Karla, Please be on time!"_

Karla arrived at the station, frantically turning her head this way and that scanning for any sign of Reina. A few people were giving her weird looks as she ran back and forth with desperation flooding her senses. There was a medley from a loudspeaker attached to the top of a large post.

"The Departure for Mobara will be leaving momentarily. Thank you for traveling with us!"

" _Shut up, shut up, shut up!"_ Karla thought to herself. There were turnstyles for ticket collecting between her and the train, but she didn't care. Seeing the doors of the train close, she ran full force at them. She leapt like an athlete over the metal bars, doing a flip as she grabbed onto the center bar to help her land. A few shocked employees ran towards her to try and calm her down.

"Miss please, the train is departing! We can't let you on-"

"I'm not trying to get on, dumbass! Just leave me alone and give me a second!" She yelled as she dashed away with the guards left in a daze. She ran up and down along the train, shouting Reina's name in desperation.

"Reina! Reina, where are you!? Reina please-"

Karla cut herself off as she looked up at one window. Reina looked down at her with mild irritation. Karla starred back up with a look of hopelessness in her eyes. Karla gently shook her head in disbelief.

"Reina...why? Why would you do this?"

Reina didn't respond. Karla took a step back in surprise as the train hissed to a start. It slowly began to move forward. Karla kept pace with the train in a trance.

"Reina, why didn't you tell me?" She shouted loud enough for Reina to hear over the noise of the train. "I did some stupid things, fine! But...But I never wanted this! I wanted us to be friends together just like Flora wanted, but I blinded by myself! I admit it, this is my fault! Reina, please come back! I can fix it, I promise!"

Reina's face turned pained and filled with pity, trying not to cry as she watched her friend chase desperately after her. As the train picked up speed, Karla slowly started to loose pace.

"Reina I'm sorry! Please don't do this! You're all I have left! Please…"

When Reina was just about gone, she gave Karla one last sympathetic smile. Karla read Reina's lips, which she was able to make out barely.

"I'm sorry Karla...I hope you can forgive me one day. Thank you...thank you for everything. For the memories...for believing in me...I wish you the best."

That was the last Karla ever saw of Reina. The setting sun's glare reflected off the window as she watched the train fade into the distance. Karla stopped, staring at the departing train that carried her only friend left away. She held out one shaky arm with despair before falling to her knees. She sat there mouth agape, feeling the world around her crumble.

* * *

"...This concludes the breaking news buletin this evening. Have a safe night!" Said a cheerful anchor with a wave. Yoshiko shut off the TV, sighing heavily. The group was at Mari's place to help make for lost time caused by the whole incident.

"It's been nothing but depressing news all day." Yoshiko said exhaustedly.

"Why do you think Karla was doing at a train station like that?" Dia inquired. "That girl is a mess."

"I'm surprised they let her go free." Kanan added, arms folded in deep thought. "She was just let out of prison for an unsolved mystery after all."

"I can't tell if she's incredibly lucky or incredibly unlucky." You said half-jokingly. Dia giggled to herself. Mari had made the mistake of giving Dia too much wine, so she was incredibly drunk. Mari came back with a fancy looking bottle of white wine, placing it on the table.

"Refills?" Mari asked with a wink.

"Mari, we've had plenty. Especially Dia."

"I haven't had that...that many. I had like one glass of wine...and then that one...and that other one...or was that the other? I'm too drunk to remember exactly, hahahaha!" Dia laughed loudly, raising her 7th glass in the air.

"You'd figure Dia would be better about managing her alcohol intake…" Kanan said with mild irritation.

"Oh let her have this once." Ruby said cheerily. "She's been stressed over all this work and mayhem, she deserves some rest."

"Oh Ruby, I knew my wittle sister would understand me…" Dia said, rubbing her head against Ruby's shoulder. Ruby gave a defeated smile.

"Chika, you sure you don't want anything else?" Mari asked, gesturing the wine glass.

"Unless you have a Mikan flavor, I'm good." She said, adding a peel to a stack of freshly picked mikan peels.

"If you say so!~"

Yoshiko stretched, standing up.

"I'm probably gonna head on home and get some rest. It's been a crazy few days. A fallen angel can only take so much..." She said, pushing on her back to unstiffen it.

"Mind helping Dia to the car while you're at it?" Ruby asked, helping Dia stand up. Yoshiko and Ruby put an arm around Dia to help her walk to the car.

"I lubb you guishe…" Dia said in slurred speech, attempting to say "I love you guys."

They brought Dia out to the car, sitting her down in the passenger seat.

"Ruby, Ruby, hey. Hey. I can drive jushfine…"

"No Dia, you're drunk."

"N-No I'm not. Where did I give ya that idea?"

"Dia, how many fingers am I holding up?"

"Uh...6…" Dia said staring at Ruby's hand intensely. She began to play with her fingers with intrigue. Mari appeared at the side of the car with a plate in hand. She held it towards Dia.

"Here's the steering wheel. Careful, it's loose!"

"Careful is my middle name...D-Dia...Kursaw...Steering wheel…"

"Have a safe drive home." Mari said with a wink, shutting Dia's door. The two watched the car pull out into the road and drive away into the night.

"Well, I gotta get back to the party. If Chika finds my mikan select, we're gonna have another problem on our hands. G'night!" Mari said, giving Yoshiko a hug goodbye. Yoshiko waved to her and hopped on her newly repaired bike to head home. The night breeze blew across Yoshiko's face, giving her a surprisingly comfortable sensation. She sailed by various streets and buildings, even passing Uranohoshi at one point.

" _I hope you can all see us now…"_ Yoshiko thought sadly as she gazed at the old school. She pedaled on, eventually coming to the shoreline. As she passed near the seaside shops, she saw someone standing on the dock nearby. As she got closer, she saw it was Karla, gazing out sadly at the moonlit bay. Yoshiko slowed down to a crawl, coming to a stop with the sound of crushing pebbles under her tires. She leaned the bike against a pole and cautiously walked up to Karla from behind. There was a moment of tense silence.

"Tell me…" Karla surprisingly said first, not bothering to turn around. "...is the report really true? Do you really remember nothing?"

"You're not the only surprised one, but it's true. I really don't remember a bit of it."

"...I take it you saw the news?"

"About the train station?"

"...yeah. Reina...she decided to leave. After losing Flora, she was all I had left. I tried to get her back last minute but...it just resulted in chaos. I always get some idea stuck in my head and make a mess out of things for everyone else. Even then, I threw the employees into chaos because of my futile attempts. What the hell is wrong with me?"

"..."

"I don't know what to do now. I have nobody left to go to. Everyone I've been around has been hurt be me. I even threatened you and your family to get what I wanted, and it ended with Flora dead at the foot of a cliff in some godforsaken forest. Maybe you're right Yoshiko, I am just an edgy bitch…"

"Karla…" Yoshiko said sadly.

"But you know what? It's all fine now. I lost everything, but now that you're here I can put myself at ease."

Before Yoshiko could react, Karla took out a sharp knife from her jacket; she lifted it high in the air with the moonlight gleaming off the sharp blade.

"Goodbye, Yoshiko."

The silent night air was interrupted by the sounds of Yoshiko's screams, followed by the sound of a body falling into the bay. The night settled into an eerie silence.

* * *

Chika sat up in bed with a shocked look on her face. Quietly, she snuck out into the kitchen to find Mito also awake.

"Did you hear it too?" Mito asked worriedly.

"Yeah, it sounded like a scream! What do you think happened?"

"Beats me, but Shiitake is barking like mad!"

They headed outside to find Shiitake barking in the direction of the pier. They could hear the sound of emergency vehicles in the distance. Quickly, Chika called Riko. She picked up almost immediately.

"Riko, did you hear that?"

"Yeah, I was brushing my teeth when I heard this terrifying scream! Now I can hear like an ambulance or something, what the heck is happening?"

"I don't know what this is about, but come with me as soon as you can! I wanna see firsthand."

Riko was out the door in the matter of a minute or so. Lead by Shiitake, Riko, Chika and Mito ran as fast as they could to the sound of engines. There was an ambulance and a few police cars. A few officers with flashlights surveyed the dock. Chika squinted to look at the flashlights on the dock. She couldn't make it out. As they approached, a few officers stopped them.

"I'm sorry, but we have to ask you stay away from the crime scene right now."

"C-Crime scene!?" Mito asked in horror. "What happened exactly?"

"We don't know just yet." The officer replied. "All we can tell you so far is two things: There was a stabbing which led the victim to fall into the ocean, and one of the people involved in this case is a young woman by the name of Yoshiko Tsushima."

The girls gasped.

"Oh god...please, let me see her! I want to know if she's alright!" Riko asked desperately.

"I'm sorry but-"

"PLEASE! I'm begging you!"

"I don't have the authority to let you do that!" The officer said firmly. "Tomorrow the surgery should be complete if the victim pulls through, so you can check in then!"

"If...they pull through?" Riko said choking up. She buried her face in Chika's shoulder and wept. Shiitake whined sadly. Chika put her arms around Riko and gave her a pat on the back comfortingly. They started walking home filled with worry and a painful sense of dread. Riko hugged herself, staring in front of her mortified.

"I can't lose her...not now...after all that's happened…"

* * *

Chika had told everyone else about what had happened via text. Dia had to stay home because of a bad hangover, but the next day they all agreed to meet at the studio and head to the hospital as a group. Mari drove them in her van, everyone silently contemplating their own thoughts as they sat in tense silence.

" _If she doesn't pull through...would we even be able to continue Aqours?"_ Chika thought to herself with worry. " _I don't want it to end in tragedy, not after we came this far…"_

Eventually they pulled up to the hospital. Mari gulped as she set the car into park.

"Moment of truth…" Mari said quietly to herself. To group rushed in the doors of the hospital and up to the receptionist.

Chika slammed her hands down on the desk, scaring the poor woman a bit.

"Is Yoshiko ok!? She pulled through right!?"

"M-Miss, calm down! Who are you here to see?"

"Yoshiko Tsushima! She was brought in last night by ambulance!"

The receptionist turned to her computer and clicked around a bit. The group sat in dread as she scrolled through the names of the patients.

"I'm sorry, we don't have any records of having a patient named Yoshiko Tsushima." She replied. The group looked at Chika.

"W-What? This is the hospital she was brought to! I know it is!" Chika turned back to the fearful receptionist and practically climbed over the desk. "You had an ambulance come in last night, correct?"

The nurse settled down and continued to search her desktop.

"Yeah, a late night arrival happened last night, I'll get you the name real quick...aha! The patient's name is Karla Sento."

" _The victim was Karla!? Then...does that mean…"_ Chika thought intensely. The doors of the hospital opened, which the group turned around to see was Yoshiko herself. Her mother was accompanying her.

"Sorry I wasn't able to contact you sooner." Yoshiko said apologetically. I wasn't allowed access to it since I was held in custody."

"W-What were you in custody for!?" Riko said loudly, stepping forward.

"They thought I might have been responsible for the accident, but thankfully since we told the same story and my fingerprints weren't on the weapon, I had a flawless alibi. I'm sure you've figured it out by now, but Karla didn't try to kill me. She tried to commit suicide."

"Oh…" Chika said, starting to get a feeling of pity for Karla. The receptionist gave them her room number and they headed into the elevator to the third floor. The elevator hummed as it gradually rose. The doors slid open with a gentle rumble, letting the group exit into the warmly lit hallway. They followed the numbers down to room 326, Karla's room. Chika grabbed the door handle. She paused a moment looking back at the other members before finally turning the handle. Karla sat up with a lifeless gaze. There were black circles under her eyes, and her hair was a mess too. Chika's mind flashed an image of You hugging her anchor pillow. Chika could tell immediately what Karla was feeling: deep despair. As Yoshiko walked in, Karla's gaze only grew sadder. Everyone filed in, Yoshiko standing at the foot of Karla's bed. Finally, Karla spoke up.

"Why? Why did you do it Yoshiko?"

"Did what, save you? I figured it would be obvious. You really think I could just stand there and let you take your own life?"

"Don't you get it!? There's nothing left for me! I've lost everything I once cared for and made a mess out of other people's lives! It's better that I'm just not around…"

Yoshiko walked over to Karla and slammed her hands into the bedsheet.

"Just because you've had a rough start doesn't mean you're hopeless!" Yoshiko said angrily. "You think all of us have lived our lives peachy keen and flawless? I was always a social outcast, but with the help of Aqours I got back on my feet and had a future! Just because it looks hopeless doesn't mean it is! You just haven't had the right circumstances is all!"

"And what, you think I can just get some sort of amazing life, just BOOM like that!? That's a load of bull and you know it!"

Yoshiko hesitated for a second. Then she reached out her hand.

"You know, Dia's been all stressed about handling forms, payments and such. She hasn't had a lot of time to focus on being an idol." Yoshiko said warmly, putting her hand on Karla's shoulder. "You're hired."

Everyone in the room gave a collective mix of shocked reactions. Karla blinked twice in disbelief.

"That has to be a joke. After everything I said and did to you, you still-"

"I know how it feels to be alone and hopeless. I can't just leave you like that, now can I? Come with us Karla. We'll help you shine, and I promise we'll never desert you."

Karla began to smile, tears of joy flowing from her eyes. She gave Yoshiko a hug, feeling true joy for the first time in ages.

* * *

A few days later, Karla was released from the hospital and submitted to a psychologist to help straighten out her personal issues. Luckily for everyone, Karla was much happier within no time. With Dia not having to deal with paperwork, her mood improved drastically. About a week or so after the incident, Yoshiko was called to stay after briefly by Karla's request. Yoshiko sat in her chair in the conference room as Karla opened the door. She greeted Yoshiko with a warm smile.

"Sorry for keeping you late. There was something important I wanted to talk to you about."

"Ok, go for it. What's the news?"

Karla took a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket and unfolded it. She handed it over to Yoshiko. It was a song titled "Kowareyasuki". The handwriting was something Yoshiko hadn't seen before. It had hearts dotting the i's and was relatively clean. It was nothing like any of the other member's handwriting or even close to the rough handwriting in Karla's original letter.

"Is this…"

"It's the last song Flora ever wrote. She wanted us to perform it when we got back together, but...it we never had the chance to. What I want is for you to publish this as an official Aqours song. I feel like it could give me a bit of closure and help me let go of the past."

Yoshiko stared at the paper for some time, reading over the lyrics. She was genuinely impressed. She could almost imagine a younger Karla Flora and Reina crowding around it excitedly. Yoshiko couldn't help but smile.

"It's a promise Karla. I'll do it."

Karla's eyes lit up happily. She gave Yoshiko a big hug, feeling the warmth of her body calm her.

"Flora...Reina...wherever you are...I hope I can make you proud…"


	7. Chapter 7: A Friend For Ruby

Chapter 7: A Friend For Ruby

Several months passed since Karla was hired by Aqours, the warm summer days fading into the crisp autumn air. Karla had left counseling after a drastic improvement in her mental state, spending more time with managing the finances and such of the group. There was one issue though, which became apparent quite quickly. There was way too much paperwork and such for Karla to handle by her lonesome. Often she stayed late to finish off what she needed done for the next day and/or the next show. Karla brought this up with Dia, which prompted her to hire a few new recruits. It was the morning the three of them would be introduced to the cast, and Ruby practically jumped out of bed. Throwing on some clothes, she ran out to the kitchen for breakfast with a gentle thumping of feet on wood flooring. Dia was already in the kitchen with a fresh batch of pancakes awaiting her.

"Perfect timing, the pancakes just finished!" Dia said sweetly. Ruby inhaled the sweet aroma of syrup and soft fluffy stacks of deliciousness. She let out a happy sigh of enjoyment, sitting down at the breakfast table.

"Smells amazing big sis!" she complimented, grabbing a few of them and sliding them onto her plate.

"Excited for the new employee introductions today?" Dia said, sitting down with a mug of freshly made green tea. She blew lightly on the surface of the tea, a faint trail of steam blowing to the side as a result.

Ruby nodded excitedly, popping a small piece of pancake into her mouth.

"I cahh waihh!"

"Ruby, don't talk with your mouth full." Dia scolded lightly. "You want to make a good first impression for them, so make sure to be polite!"

"Sure thing!" Ruby chirped happily. "I'll do my Rubesty!"

Dia giggled, reaching over to pat her head.

"That's my little sister!" she encouraged sweetly.

* * *

When the two sisters arrived at the studio, they were greeted to chaos. Chika was talking to a small group of people, most likely the new recruits. Hanamaru was lecturing something to Yoshiko while Riko lightly bashed her head into a wall mat. You frantically picked up papers while Kanan and Mari spectated wordlessly. Dia clenched her fist.

"BUUUUUU BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU DESU WA!" She yelled, startling everyone in the room. "What in the world are you screwing around doing!?"

"Well, the fallen angel Yoshiko decided to go and make the newcomers uncomfortable for a start." Hanamaru said with a sideways glance. "Then the paperwork ended up becoming a mess because Karla slipped on a Mikan peel and it went everywhere."

Dia angrily scanned the room, Yoshiko and Chika shrinking back awkwardly. She sighed heavily and walked over to the new recruits with a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry about all that mess, I'll make sure everything is smooth sailing from here."

The recruits all smiled awkwardly. The group consisted of two girls and one guy. Once everyone got settled, the three of them stood next to each other for introductions. Karla stood near the front sipping a coffee. A blond girl introduced herself first.

"I'm Tsumugi, nice to meet ya!" She said with a wide smile.

"I'm Christine...thanks for having me." replied a black haired girl with a very slender frame.

Ruby watched them with intrigue. She let her eyes drift to the boy nervously twitching his fingers.

"U-Um...sorry I'm just not great with introductions…"

"Don't worry" Dia encouraged. "It's not like we're grading you, just introduce yourself. You'll be fine."

He nodded and hesitated a moment longer.

"I'm...I'm Timothy. N-Nice to meet you all."

"Let's give up for our new members!" Mari yelled gesturing to the members with a bright smile. The members clapped politely, letting the new recruits stand there bashfully. As Ruby looked at them happily, she noticed Timothy looking at her out of the corner of her eye. When she turned to face him, he looked away and fidgeted with his fingers.

"Alrighty peeps, come with me and I'll show you the ropes!" Karla called, curling her arm up and back to lead them to the office room. Ruby caught another glance back from Timothy before he disappeared with their group. She couldn't help but stare back puzzled. She felt two hands suddenly grab her shoulder.

"PIGII! Don't grab me like that!"

"Someone can't keep their eyes off you, zura.~" Hanamaru teased.

"W-What do you mean by that?"

"Oh come on, I know you were looking at him too. I know you saw it."

"W-Well...what do you think about it? He might just be a fan. The girls probably wouldn't have come if they weren't fans at all."

"I guess, but wouldn't that make him your fan?"

"Geez, now you're making me blush Hanamaru. I guess at some point I could meet with him...but I don't know. I've never really talked to boys."

"You're kinda preaching to the choir here Ruby. I barely understand technology let alone guys, but I know a bit here and there from romance novels."

"R-Romance!? But I'm not interested in-"

"You might not, but he might. All I'm saying is keep an eye on him, I can tell there's something there."

"I...I guess. But keep an eye out from afar in case something goes wrong."

"I got your back, zura!" Hanamaru said with a wink.

"T-Thanks…" Ruby said looking off at the ground to her side.

 _"No way would I do anything like romance with a guy...besides...regardless of what he's like, I don't swing that way anyway…"_

* * *

Ruby and Hanamaru went to grab some snacks from the local supermarket during lunch break. Hanamaru of course got her signature breadstick, Ruby getting a small premade wrap to make up for her not exactly healthy breakfast. As they walked back from the store, they passed by the lounge. It was only recently installed, but being near the studio meant the group had a nice place to relax during free time. There was maroon couches facing a TV and various smaller chairs here and there, mostly up against walls with small tables next to them. The room was surrounded by big glass windows that allowed everyone to see the extravagant rug it had.

"Let's finish up eating in here." Ruby said, pointing her finger at the room. Hanamaru tilted her head with mild confusion. She had already finished eating her snack. Ruby sighed and opened the glass door with a fwoosh as it passed over the soft rug. Looking around the room, they noticed Timothy in a corner playing with some sort of device. They walked over to him to get a closer look, finding it was some sort of handheld game console. He looked up for a brief second, jumping back in surprise with wide eyes.

"PIGII!" Ruby reacted reciprocally.

"S-Sorry! I didn't mean to spook you!" He said awkwardly. "I just...sorry…"

"No, no, there's no need to apologize." Ruby said with a wave of her hand.

"Great. First time talking to him and it's already awkward." Ruby thought to herself.

"So what's with that strange phone or whatever?" Hanamaru asked pointing to his handheld.

"Oh, this? It's a GSP...it's a game console not a phone. Not that it's that interesting..."

Hanamaru slammed her hands down on the desk, causing him to jump back again.

"You can play video games without a TV now!? Mirai Zura! Mirai Zu- oh, I said it again…"

They all stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, staring at each other wordlessly. Timothy scratched the back of his head, forcing a smile.

"I forgot to mention it earlier but...you can just call me Tim." He eventually said, clearing the silence. "It's uh...nice to meet you."

"I'm Ruby Kurosawa and this is Hanamaru as you probably know already. Nice to meet you."

Tim was starting to turn slightly red, glancing away with a shy smile. Hanamaru glanced at Ruby with a smug expression.

"I have something I gotta do, so you two can keep on talking." Hanamaru said, striding off before Ruby could protest. They looked at each other with a returning awkward silence. They both giggled a bit, failing to make it any more normal.

"So...what made you wanna join Aqours?" Ruby asked to break the silence.

"Well...I've always been a fan of idols and such...and you all just sorta stood out to me I guess." He said with a little shrug.

"Do you want me to show you some of the stuff we idols do? I'd be happy to show you around!"

"I would, but I don't wanna be a bother or anything…"

"No, no, you're no bother! Come on, I'll give you a little tour around!" Ruby said, grabbing his hand and leading him towards the studio. He wasn't sure whether or not he should go along with it, but since Ruby said it was fine he happily went along with her anyway.

* * *

After that day, Ruby started hanging out with Tim during their breaks. They often talked about idols, such as the up and coming groups or the legends of old such as A-Rise. Sometimes they would go and get lunch, and as per usual Ruby met up with him near the door.

"Ready to head out?" She said cheerfully.

"Yep, all set!" He said with a shy smile. With that they waved to the other members and went out to get some food. After the door shut, Riko turned to You.

"They seem to be together more often than not nowadays." Riko wondered aloud.

"I'm surprised Dia hasn't said anything about it to us. Dia's too protective to just let Ruby go off with some guy, coworker or not."

"Well, let's take a look at Dia for ourselves and see if anything's up." Riko suggested, tensing up and darting her eyes around mischievously.

"From the looks of you, the plan is to spy on them?" You said with a sigh.

"Dia might keep some details fuzzy for us, I wanna know every juicy detail I can get!"

You somehow felt a bit uncomfortable with the sinister smile on Riko's face. _"Another side effect of Yoshikoitis I see…"_ You mused internally.

* * *

There was a small cafe not that far from the studio that Ruby always enjoyed going to called 'The Red Hill Diner'. The place had a deck area with an excellent view of the water and was adorned with pink and purple flowers along short wooden fences. Despite the look, the place had some affordably priced food which was better for a nice light lunch than anything fancy. As they walked in, a waitress gave them a polite bow and a smile.

"Welcome! Would you like a seat outside or inside?"

"Outside please!" Ruby replied. The waitress led her to a table near the fence, allowing her to get a whiff of the sweet scent they gave off. They sat across from each other, Tim looking at his menu. He glanced up and noticed she wasn't looking at hers.

"Already know what you want?" He asked curiously.

"Yeah, I'm a regular here so I already have a personal favorite."

"Oh? Which is that, if you don't mind me asking of course."

"It's a grilled chicken wrap. They always make it perfectly, it's super satisfying."

"Well, I guess I'll have that too! It's...not weird to order the same thing you are is it?"

"Of course not! Actually, I was hoping to convince you to try one!"

The waitress came over, lighting up as she saw Ruby.

"How's practice been?" She asked with a friendly familiar smile on her face.

"We're working on a brand new song, so I've been hard at work perfecting it!"

"Tell me when the new album drops, I wanna get a signed copy!"

They all giggled, the waitress then pulling out her notepad.

"Grilled Chicken Wrap, Lettuce and Mayo I'm guessing?"

"You got it!" Ruby said, pointing her fingers in L shapes towards the waitress. The waitress turned to Timothy next.

"And for you? I don't think we've met."

"I'm uh...her coworker. I help with papers and such. We're just friends, it's not anything...weird." He said bashfully. "And I'll try what she's having."

The waitress nodded and took the menus back, leaving them to chat again.

"That's my friend Camilla. She was at the same school I was in after Uranohoshi, and we hit it off really well. Heck, we even went to the same college and have been friends ever since."

"I wish I had that kind of luck with friends. I have a hard time opening up to people I don't know, which has left me alone more often than not."

"Well, you don't have to worry about it here." Ruby encouraged. "We're already getting to know each other well, so you won't have a thing to worry about."

"Are...you sure? I usually mess something up with friends, so I worry if I opened up too much you might find me creepy…"

"Tim, you shouldn't say that! There's nothing wrong with expressing how you feel inside, I for one am known for loving idols more than anyone else!" She said with a fistpump.

Tim paused, rubbing his arm and averting his gaze.

"Well...I think there's something you need to know about me then. Thing is…" Tim paused with a loud exhale. Ruby's expression became more serious. "...I have...clinical depression. I have to take a medication to help with it but...I don't feel like I'm improving. Thing is...I really was in a bad spot for several years. I felt like my High School life was going to go nowhere. But then, I saw you help Saint Snow and really become this amazing individual out of nothing. I hope this doesn't sound weird Ruby, but...you're my inspiration. You're like a role model to me. It's why you're my favorite Aqours member."

Ruby felt baffled and concerned. She never had a friend with genuine depression before, so she had no idea how it worked or how she could help. Somehow, she found herself wanting to ask Dia for help. "Stop it Ruby, you can't rely on Dia for everything. You should be able to help him out just fine."

"Sorry for killing the mood with this…"

"What? No, no! It's good you're getting this off your chest. We've helped people like Karla before, so I'm sure voicing your issues will help you get better."

"You...you really think so?"

"Well of course! I'll do my rubesty!" She said with her trademark pose.

"T-Thanks…" Timothy said with a faint nervous giggle.

 _"'You're my favorite Aqours member'..."_ Ruby thought deeply to herself. _"Could that mean he's...interested in me? But...if he is there's no way I could return that sort of interest. I don't want to break his heart…"_

* * *

Mari, Kanan and Dia were in the office room with the door shut, sitting by the computer. Everyone else had left for lunch except for Chika, Riko and You, although Chika was snoozing happily by her bag with a belly full of mikan. They snuck up to the door and put their ears to it. Through the door they could hear the sound of typing on a keyboard.

"So I assume you found something?" Dia began. Kanan nodded in reply, a piece of paper on a clipboard in her hand. Dia had asked Kanan to do background checks on Tim, mostly as a result of his obvious attraction to Ruby. She wanted to keep it secret from Ruby though, as not to upset her. The whole exchange happened over text the night before upon Dia's request, all the info compiled onto Kanan's clipboard that same night. Kanan cleared her throat as she began.

"His full name is Timothy D. Williams, born in England and immigrated to Japan just this year in fact to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. It seems he's surprisingly knowledgeable and respectful of our culture, and took an interest in pursuing a life for himself here."

"An ambitious young chap, isn't he?" Mari said in a fake british accent.

"Come on Mari, don't be racist." Kanan scolded.

"Sorry, sorry, couldn't help myself." Mari said with a goofy smile. Kanan sighed and continued her paper.

"It seems he's an avid fan of Ruby's, talking about her frequently. Here, let me open up one of his social media sites to show you for yourself." Kanan said, turning the laptop towards herself. Her fingers darted across the keyboard with a rapid pitter patter of typing. Popping open one of the social media sites, they were immediately greeted with a large number of Ruby related posts. Dia scanned the page intensely, looking for any signs of anything creepy. Mostly the posts were about how "She looks so cute in this uniform" or "Ruby nailed that section of this song". Kanan scrolled down a bit, leading to a cute drawing of a chibi Ruby smiling brightly.

"Aww, look at that! He drew that himself! He's pretty good!" Mari commented in real life but not on the post itself.

"I wanted to draw your attention to this." Kanan said, pointing to a link under the picture. Upon opening the link, they were taken to a sort of art blog website. He had a big profile with loads or Ruby drawings, some better than others...objectively. "I don't know if it means anything, but I found out he has an art blog. It might prove useful to us need be."

"Seems pretty tame." Dia said as she took back the laptop from Kanan. "He's mostly got a few nice drawings of her in costume. I was obsessed with imitating Eli when I was younger, so I know how he would feel to have a favorite. But still…"

"But still...what?" Kanan asked inquisitively. Dia remained silent. Normally she wouldn't go to these measures, but there was something about Tim that gave her a nervous feeling. The main issue was that the story with him was sort of similar to that of a story a friend of hers had told her. In college, Dia had a roommate by the name of Jill. Jill had told her a frightening story about an ex-boyfriend she had in High School. He acted a lot like Timothy did at first, but over time became more aggressive. In the end, Jill was raped. He was suspended, but it made Jill have issues trusting any guys whatsoever. Dia was worried Timothy might act like that towards Ruby and recreate the story with her beloved sister. Dia felt a shiver run down her spine just remembering the details. She scrolled down and down, giving the screen a glazed spaced out look. As she scrolled, she saw something out of the corner of her eye that caught her attention. It was a particular picture of Ruby with her hands on her stomach and a somewhat pained expression. It seemed the other two had spotted it too.

"Is she...farting?" Kanan asked with a mix of disgust and confusion on her face. They clicked on the image, and lo and behold Kanan was right.

"Is this supposed to be funny? Guys can be so gross…" Dia said disgustedly. Mari snickered. She started giggling uncontrollably.

"No way! No freaking way! Dia, can you open up the description real quick?" Mari said, failing to control her laughter. Dia clicked open the description worriedly. She read aloud the description to them.

"This might seem kinda weird, but I couldn't help but do this at some point. I won't post stuff like this anymore if you all find it too weird, but I couldn't help but appeal to my fetish just this once."

Mari burst up laughing. She put her hands on her chest as her lungs started to hurt.

"M-Mari!? Calm down and control yourself!" Kanan said, grabbing Mari's shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just...I can't believe he actually has a fart fetish!" Mari said though excessive laughter. "It's just funny to me! How does someone enjoy that, let alone get off to it?"

"Ok then Mari, how about I check your search history then?" Kanan said, snatching the laptop away from Dia and heading to the history tab. The more she scrolled the more confused and priceless her facial expression became.

"...Crab dance party...The search for the rarest pepe...Thanos porn!? Mari, what the hell is this!?"

Mari exploded in laughter, falling to the floor punching the ground repeatedly.

"I can't breathe...I can't breathe…" She gasped through her uncontrollable fit of self-amusement. Eventually she started coughing, sitting up and calming herself slowly.

"Mari, you have a screw loose I swear." Kanan said, looking back through the history a bit more. Kanan almost dropped the laptop upon seeing the search "Kanan Matsuura Hentai" in the search history. She put the laptop back on the desk with a heavy sigh. "I won't even question the things you search up anymore Mari."

The two of them suddenly noticed Dia hadn't commented on Mari's whole laugh spasm. She sat with her hands together staring at the desk deep in thought. She had a menacing look on her face.

"Since it's a fetish...that counts as a sexualization of Ruby, would it not?"

Mari, Kanan, Riko and You simultaneously gulped. They all felt a strong tenseness in the room, and didn't like it one bit. Kanan and Mari exchanged awkward looks.

"U-Uh, Dia, there's something else you should know…from my research-" Kanan started.

"Don't worry about that anymore." Dia said, cutting her off. "I have all the info I need. I'm going to have to meet with this Timothy for a little...one on one chat."

 _"If you think you can lay a hand on my beloved little sister, you're damn wrong. You better watch yourself Timothy, cause I've got my eye on you."_


	8. Chapter 8: To Be Sisters

Chapter 8: To Be Sisters

Ruby woke up with a yawn, stretching her arms up above her head before rubbing her eyes. Her eyes batted as her vision came into focus. She could smell a batch of pancakes cooking already, so she threw her clothes on and got out to the kitchen while they were still fresh out of the pan. As she came out to the kitchen, she noticed Dia had a firm facial expression she usually got when lost in thought. When she noticed Ruby there, she put on a warm smile.

"Perfect timing!" Dia said to her. "The pancakes just finished. I already poured you a glass of Orange Juice too."

"T-Thanks." Ruby said skeptically. Somehow this morning felt a little...off. Dia was rather quiet, usually she'd wake her up if Ruby tried sleeping in as late as she did. Dia got herself two pancakes and some scrambled eggs, sitting down across from Ruby as usual. The smell of her own eggs made Ruby's mouth begin to water a bit. She began to eat them, watching Dia silently eat her eggs with an expressionless face. Every now and then her face would tense up a bit, as if remembering something unpleasant. It certainly wasn't the food, Dia had gotten personal lessons from Mari and was able to cook amazing dishes now. Breakfast especially so to Ruby.

"You're kinda quiet this morning Dia." Ruby inquired, shifting in her seat.

"Oh, I'm just eating my breakfast is all, you shouldn't eat with your mouth full after all." Dia responded, cutting off a bit of pancake while avoiding eye contact. Ruby saw her eyes dart to the side for a split second as she made up the excuse. Ruby paused for a second, thinking for a second what would be drawing Dia's attention. Suddenly, Ruby got a bad feeling in her gut. " _She's not stressed out about...Timothy is she?"_ She pondered to herself. She decided to play dumb and throw Dia a hint.

"So...what do you think about Tim?"

Dia paused with a piece of pancake hovering in front of her open mouth. She closed it and let her fork slowly droop to the plate lightly, pancake still on her fork. Her look hardened.

"To be honest, I don't trust him. I'm worried he's getting close to you just to...use you for his own pleasure."

"For his own...pleasure? Dia, what in the world do you mean?"

"Ruby, sometimes I think you're a little too optimistic for your own good. Not all men are good people, and something about him is setting off alarms. One day he might try to exploit you...sexually."

"T-That's insane!" Ruby said fearfully. "He wouldn't do something like…"

"Ruby, I'm telling you this for your own safety. Be wary of him, ok?"

Ruby hesitated. She nodded sadly, playing with her eggs. " _There's no way he'd just...he's not the kind of guy to do something like that...is he?"_

* * *

Tim was filled with nervousness and dread. Dia had never personally called him to a private meeting before, usually Karla was in charge and when meetings were held everyone else was there. " _Oh god, this is about Ruby isn't it? I'm so screwed, I'm so screwed! I think I overstepped my boundaries too much and- ARGH, why do you have to be so stupid Timothy!?"_ He thought towards himself as he arrived at the door. Hesitantly, he knocked on the door to Karla's discussion room. Dia opened the door after a few seconds with a firm expression. She motioned for him to enter without a word. She sat down behind a desk with Karla's placard on the side of the desk facing him. Normally Karla used this for her one on one talks, but Dia saw it as a good place to talk with him away from prying eyes and ears.

"Good morning." Dia greeted flatly.

"G-Good morning…"

"I called you here today because I want to ask you a few things. I think you may be able to guess what that something is?"

"...It's about Ruby...right?"

"You've been awful close with her lately." Dia said with her hands interlocked, like a boss studying a nervous malleable employee with their eyes alone. She gave him a steady analyzing stare. "I want to make sure you don't have any...reasons for doing this that I may disapprove of."

"R-Reasons?"

"I'm very protective of my little sister as you probably know. I want the best for her, and I'm more than happy to make someone suffer for her sake need be."

Timothy gulped nervously. Already his composure was slipping, a hint of fear visible in his expression. " _This is bad, I wanna be honest with her but at the same time I don't wanna look like a creep…"_

"First of all, you wouldn't happen to have...feelings for her do you?" Dia probed.

"W-Well I...er...I mean I-"

"If you said no immediately I would've been able to tell if it's a yes or no, but I think that isn't necessary by your reaction."

" _Urk."_

"Next, I want a bit of clarification. Have you ever considered sexualizing her?"

"N-No way! She's too pure for something like that! I'd never!"

"Well, I happened to discover this art blog of yours and found out about your little...fetish drawing."

" _Big urk."_

"Don't lie to me Timothy. If you want my trust I need your honesty."

"Y-Yes ma'am…"

"Now if you would, please fill me in about that picture."

" _Oh god, now I gotta talk about my fetish? This is going to be rough, and it's already a big mess!"_ He thought as he cleared his throat.

"Well, uh...how do I describe it...I don't really know a good way to explain why it's my kink-"

"I'd prefer you keep the explanation purely to the picture and not to the gross details of your fetish. I don't want to know why you like them, I want to know why you chose to put those feelings into Ruby."

"W-Well, I drew that when I was younger...sometime around when Aqours was first starting off. I never imagined that I'd have the opportunity to ever talk with her let alone work alongside her. I saw it as a harmless one time relieving of my...desires."

"All the others are normal. Why just this once?"

"A...friend of mine suggested it. I gave it a try for the sake of it, but I felt like a perv so I never made another one."

"Tell me, do those feelings still exist? Are you still interested in smelling them?"

"Well...if I'm being honest...yes. But it's not something I can just ask for, that would be harassment without a doubt. The last thing I want to do is make my role model find me creepy or weird. To be honest, I'm surprised she didn't think so from the beginning."

Dia sat there a moment in silence, thinking things over in her head. " _So his desires still exist...but he has a strong will not to have Ruby dislike him. The question I have now...which will is stronger?"_ Dia sat up straight, putting her hands down on the desk.

"Ok Timothy, I'll give you a chance. But I still need you to prove to me you're not some pervert intent on violating my sister. Aqours is having a training camp at one of Mari's summer homes in a few days. You and the other two girls helping Karla will be coming along with us. If you can sleep in the same room as Ruby and the rest of us without giving in to any desires that may arise, I'll try my best to put a bit more trust in you. Fail this however, and I promise there will be very harsh repercussions. Understood?"

"Y-Yes, I understand. I'll do my best to gain your trust."

"Good. You're dismissed."

* * *

Mari's summer home overlooked the ocean, a large cobblestone pathway leading down to a large shoreline beside the home. It had a light yellow exterior color with an angled orange tiled roof. Unlike her newer home back in Uchiura, this home lacked a giant security gate. Instead, it simply had a large white patio that stretched the length of the exterior on all sides. There was an area to dine on the side facing the ocean, a kitchen area just inside for the staff to bring delicious meals within relatively small timeframes for the sake of convenience. Mari had never entertained guests here before, as her dad would occasionally host meetings with important figures in luxury to make a good impression. By the time they all arrived in Mari's van, it was around noontime.

"Welcome to my shiny little abode!" Mari happily announced, letting her hands gesture to the sky. "Enjoy your stay! Oh, and the food's on me. Once you've had an eyeful, come to the deck and get a mouthful too!" Mari happily skipped up to the front door, leaving the rest of them back at the van to get their stuff out.

"She could've helped us move some of our stuff." Kanan grumbled. She had gotten bored and tried reading on the trip there, only to get carsick as a result. She didn't vomit, but she did feel a bit nauseous. She held her stomach as she grabbed her suitcase from the trunk. As the others lugged in their belongings, Mari offered her aid in the form of asking her butler to hold the door for them and telling them where their rooms to dump their stuff were.

"I thought we were all sleeping in sleeping bags you had prepared." Dia asked the butler. He sighed in response.

"I'm afraid I never got such an order, although we have some couches and spares she had asked me to prepare."

"I wish that Mari would fill me in on stuff like this. I would've brought a few extra sleeping bags need be." She said with folded arms. She dragged her stuff in herself while the butler looked on helplessly. Riko came up and gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I feel ya." She said to him, giving him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

Ruby struggled to lift her suitcase out of the trunk, packed to the brim with different outfits she hoped to use during their training camp. Dia turned around from the doorway with a smile as she started walking towards Ruby to offer some help.

"Hey, I can lend a hand if you want!" Timothy offered, approaching her from the other side of the car.

"I couldn't ask you to do that!" Ruby said, her suitcase hitting the ground with a heavy thump."I don't want you to have to carry my stuff on top of all yours."

"It's fine, I don't have much other than this backpack here." He said, grabbing the suitcase with both hands. He lifted it with a heavy grunt, waddling towards the door with it lightly swinging in front. Dia watched from a distance with a blank expression.

After You finished putting her stuff in the living room and laid out her sleeping bag, she started to wander the big house.

" _Bathroom...bathroom...why is this place so huge?"_ She thought to herself. Seeing the butler, she tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and bowed politely.

"Ah, you're one of mistress Mari's guests. How may I assist?"

"Oh, I just needed to use the ladies room. Where is it exactly?"

"Well, we have one on the first floor down the far right side, we have one on the second floor next to the big window looking into the indoor garden room, and there's a private one connected to my mistress's bedroom but you'll need permission to use that one from her."

"Wow, that's quite a lot of restrooms. Especially for a summer home."

"Oh, those are just the women's rooms. We have two male counterparts on the first and second floor, and another private one shared in her parent's lounge. It's locked off to visitors though."

" _I-Is it really necessary to have that many bathrooms?"_ You asked herself. " _I knew Mari was rich but who knew she had her own royal throne…"_

"Oh, and by the way the restrooms are all single person rooms so I apologize for the inconvenience if they are taken."

"I-It's fine. Have a good day."

"You too madam." He replied with a bow as he headed off. A second later he turned around to add something. "By the way, I'll be doing my daily round of the house to clean the restrooms soon. If you come out of one and I'm there with a cleaning cart hopefully I won't startle you or make you feel uncomfortable."

" _Daily cleaning!? Mari you're a sadist…"_

You made her way to the first floor restroom. She knocked on the door with a double knock.

"Occupied!" Called Chika.

"Are you almost done?"

"Uh...not really! Just got in here actually. Sorry!"

You sighed and went upstairs to the second floor restroom. She stopped to look at the various plants inside. There was a variety of plants that she had never seen before, including a giant red flower she had only seen in books from South American rainforest organisms. Noticing the sprinklers giving the plants a healthy dose of water, You rushed to the bathroom nearby. She gave a knock on the door.

"Occup-BLARG!" came Kanan's voice, cut off as she emptied her stomach contents into the toilet.

" _Poor butler...I hope Kanan isn't leaving too big a mess…"_ She thought with pity. She didn't have much of a choice so she ran up to the third floor to Mari's room. It wasn't too hard to see which room was hers based on the gold placard on her door. It looked freshly polished. With a sigh, she knocked on the door.

"Sorry!" Mari said in broken English. "Mari Ohara is busy right now! Please leave a message after the beep! Beeeeeeeeeeep!"

"Mari, I need to use your restroom."

"I'm changing right now into my swimsuit! Unless you wanted a peek!~"

"If Kanan wasn't puking into the second floor toilet I'd bet she'd say 'I'll sue you' right about now."

"All the others occupied?"

"Yes. Please, my bladder is gonna explode!"

"Hmmm, let me think about it...um…" Mari said, clearly toying with her.

" _Mari, you sadist."_ You thought to herself.

"Oh, alright! Come on in! No peeking!~" Mari called. You opened the door with her eyes closed. She decided to take a peek to find the restroom, only to find Mari in her swimsuit already, posing at the mirror.

"Oh you naughty girl! I said not to peek!~"

"I'll sue you."

* * *

By the time You had finished her business, most of the other members were in swimsuits. You came into the living room where everyone else had already gathered. Dia was setting up a big schedule on paper for the camp, pointing at the same schedule everyone else was ignoring and talking about having fun on the beach instead. There seemed to be a bustle of joyousness except for Kanan who looked downright miserable. They all had on swimsuits already. Even Timothy had on a pair of swim trunks, no shirt to cover his lanky build.

"...are you all even listening? This is an important schedule we have to follow? What would happen if one of you put on too much weight and couldn't fit into a costume!? Shape up girls!" Dia called to the crowd pointing firmly at the schedule.

"Oh let us have a bit of fun!" Karla added in. "Mental health is as important as physical after all!" She had a smug grin. Karla had a habit of one-upping Dia whenever possible for her own amusement. She admitted before it probably wasn't the best habit but she couldn't help it. Dia gave a defeated sigh.

"Fine, but we're going to train at some point!" She said as she put down the schedule to follow everyone else.

"Come on everyone! Let's have some fun!" Chika called with her arm gesturing for everyone to follow.

"Sorry Dia, maybe later." You said with a pat on the shoulder before rushing after them. Kanan smiled lightly as she got up to pursue. As she walked forward, her vision started to blur. She put a hand on her head and reached out to grab the couch. Her arm missed, making her fall to the floor with a loud thud. She could hardly hear it though. She could vaguely make out a bunch of footsteps approaching her in a hurry. She could only hear a high pitch ringing in her ears for a short while and the blurry floor. As she regained her senses she found herself surrounded with a sea of worried faces.

"Ugh...what just...happened?" She managed to mumble.

"You just passed out hardcore." Karla said. Dia held Kanan's head in her hand, putting her other on Kanan's forehead.

"You're burning up!" Dia said worriedly. "I need you to get some rest, I'll get the butler to help take care of you. Want me to stay with you too?"

"N-No, you all go have fun. Don't miss out on a fun time on my account." Kanan said weakly.

"Sorry Kanan, but I gotta give you a Buu Buuuuuu Desu Wa for that one." Dia mused. "I want to see for myself you get the care you need."

Kanan hesitated. Finally, she sighed in defeat.

"If you say so. You all have fun." Kanan said as Dia led her to a guest bedroom. Chika stood there sadly.

"It feels wrong though." Chika said after Kanan was out of earshot. "Why do we get to have fun while you're lying sick in bed?"

"Don't beat yourself up over it." You comforted. "This wasn't anyone's fault. Now let's go have some fun like she said."

"Mmm."

The group headed to the beach, feeling a loss of they joy that was there just moments ago. You took one look at Chika's sad face and sprang into action, tugging up the sides of Chika's mouth.

"Come on Chika, put on a smile. We're here to have fun, so have some!" She said with friendly smile.

"Yeah...yeah you're right. Let's have some fun!"

* * *

That evening, Mari had plans to have the butler prepare a massive meal with her personal chefs. Mari had asked when everyone wanted for a meal, ignoring Yoshiko's 'souls of the damned' comment. Dia offered to go talk with Kanan about what she wanted, lightly jogging through the mostly silent home too the bedroom Kanan was resting in. Kanan groaned a bit as Dia walked in, Dia giving her a warm smile. Walking up to her bedside, Kanan sat up slightly and rubbed her face.

"Feeling any better?"

"To be honest, I still feel crappy. I tried sleeping but I can't fall asleep no matter how hard I try."

"I'm guessing you're not thrilled at the idea of dinner? Mari wants to know what everyone wants."

"No, I just want to rest up some more. My stomach is probably filled with flem anyway."

"I'm getting some people on board for mexican. We're thinking burritos, but we thought that you wouldn't be big on the idea of that considering you're not feeling 100%."

"Burritos? Why in the world would you recommend burritos? I don't think I've ever seen you eat a burrito before."

"..." Dia remained wordless as she averted her gaze. There was tenseness in her face. Kanan gave her a serious look.

"You aren't doing what I think you're doing are you?"

"..."

"Dia, I understand you want to be protective, but pulling the strings isn't going to help anything. If Ruby finds out, she's going to be livid."

"It's for her own good. If I can bait out that pervert…"

"Dia, I can't stop you from doing this. But listen here, if this plan goes through and he doesn't prove your suspicions you better promise me that you'll stop this stupid behind the scenes. Deal?"

"..."

"Dia. Ruby can't grow on her own if you keep acting for her. It may be hard, but ease back. Give her the space she needs to fly."

"I...I don't know how to. I feel like a jerk if I don't help her when I can. If I let her free, I'm afraid she might fall…"

"You sound more like her mother than her sister." Kanan jested.

"Well what do you expect? I had to take that role after our mother passed. Sometimes I feel more like a mom than a sister, and I'm sure Ruby feels the same way about me sometimes."

"Dia, you told me this again. You still haven't let go have you?"

"Kanan...I can't just let her go. You know why I can't let go."

"...I see. I didn't think about it that far. I'm sorry, just...don't be too hard on him ok?"

* * *

Dia fell to her knees weeping. She held her head in her hands without the words to describe her grief. Her father handed her a tissue.

"I'm so sorry Dia. We did all we could but...she was too far gone. Nobody your age should have to experience something like this."

"D-Daddy…" Dia sniffled as she wiped her eyes with the tissue before stuffing it into her pocket full of used tissues. She gazed sadly at the gravestone of Ms. Kurosawa, a picture of her family in a cute family photo they had taken just that summer placed on the ground in front of the gravestone. Her mother had gotten tuberculosis in the fall and couldn't recover from it. She had passed away in the middle of the night in a hospital.

"You're always away from home for your work daddy...are we going to be alone at home?" Dia asked. Seeing the sadness in her daughter's eyes shook Mr. Kurosawa's usually tough demeanor, his lip beginning to tremble. He kneeled down and put a hand on Dia's shoulder.

"Listen...I need you to make me a promise. Please don't tell Ruby about this."

"But daddy...why?"

"She's too young to understand. She's only a preschooler after all. Not that you should have to deal with something like this either. Nobody does." He clenched his fist in emotional agony. "Listen Dia, I need you to look out for Ruby while I'm not there."

"But...I don't know how! I can't feed her, I can't change her daiper, I can't…"

I'll help you out where I can but...I need Ruby to have someone to be there for her. Promise me you'll do it for her. Please…"

"...Alright. I promise. Pinky swear!" Dia held out her pinky and her dad reciprocated. After letting go, Dia ran into her dad's arms and sobbed into his jacket.

"That's daddy's little girl…" He choked out, tears flowing free as he looked upon the grave of his beloved wife.


	9. Chapter 9: Promises Made

Chapter 9: Promises Made

Dia's order for a Mexican style food went through with the argument that "Kanan doesn''t want any dinner and she'll probably want lighter foods once she's feeling a bit better". Nobody was feeling picky, although Ruby was as surprised that Dia had picked that kind of food as Kanan was initially. The group was sitting outside on the side of the deck facing the water (except for Kanan) as the butler carried out their dishes to Mari and her guests (except for Kanan). They had nice white tables with a light purple table cloth covering them set up to dine at (except for Kanan) while looking at the beautiful sunset (except for Kanan). At last, the personal chefs came out to the deck with a variety of mexican dishes. The burritos were hot but had a delicious smell wafting off of them. Specially prepared tortilla chips with a side dish of guacamole accompanied them too.

"Wow, what a meal!" Ruby said happily. "And we get to enjoy it with this beautiful sunset!"

Yoshiko took a chip and dipped it in the guac before taking a bite. She practically fell backward out of her chair with a pleased look on her face.

"This exquisite flavor...it seeks to have me fall from grace...Yohane, you must resist!"

"You'll be fine, Zura." Hanamaru sighed. "The chefs worked hard to make this for us, just enjoy it in peace." Yoshiko's face shone as she dug into the chips happily.

"Ueh!" Chika said as she bit into the burrito only for the contents to spill out onto the plate. "Aw, I dropped a bit!"

"Chika, do you even know how to eat a burrito?" You asked jokingly.

"Of course I do! See, you fold the top part here forward like this and-" Chika tried to argue as she accidentally spilled more of the burrito onto her plate. You couldn't help but giggle a bit and Riko sighed empathetically with a defeated smile. Dia played with her guac by spinning her chip around in it repeatedly, eyeing Ruby and Timothy out of the corner of her eyes. Mari meanwhile took a sip of her cocktail as she gazed out over the lapping waves. She smiled lightly as she thought about the stuff that happened that day, like when snuck up on Yoshiko sleeping on her back under the shade of an umbrella to smack her butt and run off. Mari tried containing her giggling at the dinner table. It wasn't a very good job though, as Dia noticed right away.

"You better not be drunk, Mari." Dia said half-jokingly.

"Oh don't worry, I've made sure to stay hydrated."

"Hearing you say don't worry always gives me the reverse effect no matter how much I hear it." She mused.

"I'm surprised people don't say that to you more often."

"Not to worry?"

"Yeah, of course. You've always been the girl with the plan and a guide, but most importantly a sister to a certain someone...maybe even something more?"

"Mari, I know there's something you want to say. Don't beat around the bush."

Mari spun her straw around in her cocktail, staring into the concoction as it swirled around in her glass. She gazed down at it for a short while before looking back up at Dia.

"Remember what Karla said earlier today? About having down time to relax yourself? She didn't just say that to get an edge on you. We all think this way. You're one of the hardest working members of this group, so of course you're gonna be the most stressed. If you're not in the right mindset it's hard to make a rational decision about anything! Don't worry yourself to death about everything, we need you to be in the best shape you can be. Kanan wants to get down to business on new idol activities, but she knows she needs to rest up."

"Mari…"

"What I'm trying to say is...keep it cool on the whole thing with Tim. Protecting Ruby is one thing, but if you try too hard to protect her you can end up hurting her in the long run. I won't stop you from acting as her big sis, but let her live her life ok?"

"...I guess you're right. Kanan told me something similar actually."

"That's our Kanan for you." Mari said with a smile. Dia looked back over at Ruby and Timothy happily chatting away. Dia watched them briefly with a concerned gaze before sighing and taking a bite of her chip with a sharp crunch.

* * *

The sun had set and everyone was asleep for the most part. They all slept on the couches, fallen asleep after a movie night (except for Kanan). Kanan was mostly tossing and turning in her bed, groaning quietly to herself. Her fever had gone down but she wasn't exactly feeling any better. Dia had spent a lot of the day caring for her, and had fallen asleep not even 20 minutes into the movie. Several members such as Chika were using sleeping bags and/or futons on the floor to sleep, with a few using the large couches for makeshift beds. Ruby slept on the middle couch on her stomach, peacefully snoozing away. Timothy was relatively close to her, but he couldn't sleep for the life of him. Futon or not, he always had issues falling asleep. He noticed Dia glancing at them from time to time during their dinner. He sighed, walking back from the restroom towards the living room.

" _She still doesn't trust me. Not at all. What should I do to prove my worth? Am I even worthy?"_ He thought to himself sadly. As he made his return, he slowed his pace as not to wake anyone.

" _Not waking up the others is a good start."_ He thought as he returned to his futon. He stepped by a sleeping Chika, lightly snoring with a smile across her face.

" _I wonder what she's dreaming about...maybe it's about idols and such. She's such a good leader. I wish I had those kind of qualities. Maybe then I would be the kind of person...no, there isn't worth thinking about."_ He watched Chika. Then he noticed a bit of drool coming from her cheek with a hushed giggle of enjoyment. " _Mikans. She's dreaming about Mikans."_

He made his way past the snoozing orange girl and back towards Ruby. She was wearing light pink pajamas and had her hair down. He glanced over at Dia before letting himself have an eyeful.

" _She's really cute with her hair down...I don't think I've ever seen her like that. So this is what it's like to really know Ruby Kurosawa...it's like a dream. But enough gawking, I should get some rest."_

As he started to let his eyes drift away, he noticed her facial expression shift slightly. Her eyebrow twitched and she grunted quietly. He stood there for a second in confusion. Then he heard her body make a strange noise. He was able to put two and two together.

" _Timothy, no. Stop it, just get some rest. It's not worth it whatever you're wanting to do."_

He gazed at her with a furrowed brow, standing locked in place like a statue. He couldn't even move.

" _Why am I hesitating like this? Your gut is screaming for you to just get some sleep and leave her be. I don't want to ruin things. Then why am I still so fixated on her?"_

Her belly rumbled again. His breathing started to become labored out of…

" _Is this fear? Is this temptation? What is this I'm feeling? Is this what it feels like to make a decision to benefit yourself at someone else's expense? I'm not going to touch her. I want to so badly, but I can't. Just go away. Stupid thoughts…"_

He stood there with shaky hands, thoughts racing in his head screaming both ways. He held his head in his hands, closing his eyes and fighting the stress headache he had given himself. He glanced over at the still asleep Dia, her head turned away towards the couch. He glanced back down at Ruby again, ready to pass out from the stress. One last bodily noise from Ruby made his body move on it's own.

" _Just make this quick...you don't need to touch her...I'm so sorry Ruby, I shouldn't be doing this."_ He thought as he began to lean in towards her butt. He inched in bit by bit, slowly to make sure he didn't make physical contact. Finally he was so close he could make out the stitches of her pants and feel the residual heat against his face. He kept his breathing to very short light breaths as not to wake her.

" _Just a quick sniff, then go to bed. That's all. Nothing else, and nobody will even need to kno-"_

His own thought process was cut off as he felt a hand firmly grab his shoulder. In terror, he slowly turned his head around to look up and see the face of an extremely pissed off Dia. She wordlessly gestured for him to follow, pulling him back up to his feet forcefully. He followed after her wordlessly, feelings of immense guilt surging through his whole body.

" _Why did I do that, why did I do that!? I knew it was wrong and I still tried it anyway."_ He berated himself. " _Why am I such a pervert? Why do I have to be so worthless?"_

Dia had him enter the room where his belongings were being kept after her. He closed the door, Dia standing in the middle of the room.

"U-Um…" He began nervously. "L-Look, I can explain-"

"Down on your fucking knees. Now." Dia whispered coldly. Timothy complied, bowing his head in shame. He was quaking to the bones in fear. He knew this was not going to end well in the slightest.

"I knew it." Dia began. "From the start I knew I shouldn't have trusted you. Ruby may have seen some good in you, but I could see that ugly pervertedness from the start. I want to hear you say it yourself, worm. Tell me you're a pervert."

"I-I'm…"

"Clearer, dammit!"

"I'm a pervert, I admit it!"

"Good. Now, are you going to admit you acted perverted towards Ruby?"

"Y-Yes…"

"I don't trust you to keep that promise, but I hope you can learn to live with that. When Ruby wakes up tomorrow morning I'm telling her all about this."

"W-Wait, please don't tell her! That's the last thing I'd-"

"Then maybe you should've taken that into consideration before you went and shoved your head up her ass!" Dia said with an infuriated glare. "Tomorrow I also have something planned for you. Stay as far away from Ruby as you can, then be out of here by the evening. You're fired."

Timothy sat there in shock. He felt like his world was crumbling around him.

"N-No...please, anything but that! I'll do anything, I swear! Just give me another-" Timothy begged only to be cut short as Dia delivered a hard swift kick to the side of his head. It wasn't visible in the darkness, but a few drops of blood splattered onto the rug.

"I gave you more than enough of a chance. Quit your begging and die you worthless pervert. You don't deserve to be with Ruby. Ever. Now go to sleep among your garbage." Dia spat in his general direction, turning around and closing the door with one last glare. Timothy curled up and cried himself to sleep.

* * *

The next day, Timothy sat on the floor huddled in a ball. He had nothing left he could do. He'd blow his chance and had no turning back. He let his head rest against his knees staring into space lost in his own thoughts. He felt so hopeless and alone, sitting alone in the curtain drawn room among his own stuff resting loosely around the walls. The room was dark and silent save for the light filtering in through the curtains.

" _What a bland room...I guess I deserve something like this…"_ He thought as he stood up. He meandered towards the door weakly, opening it to the sound of Chika's voice. She was cheerfully getting everyone pumped for the day's training. He looked down the dark hallway towards the warmly lit room where the girls huddled together. Chika gave a signal and they all headed out the sliding doors to the deck. As he watched, Ruby caught him out of the corner of her eye. She paused a moment with a sad look that he could read had a hint of betrayed expectations. He turned his head away and walked down the dark corridor away from them.

" _I was a fool to think I could be with them. They're such great people and here I am exploiting them for my own selfish benefit. They never deserved to have to deal with someone like me. Why? Why do I have to be so useless? Why do I have to be such an idiot? Even after Katie told me over and over to just be myself...who am I? Do I just go around ruining people's lives?"_

Walking down the hall, his expression hardened.

" _I'm sorry Ruby, but it seems I only have one option left...I hope you can forgive me for everything I've done…"_

* * *

Chika let out a loud sigh as she plopped down on the sofa with a heavy thump.

"My body is so sore! We sure did a lot of practice today!" She said, spreading out to take up a large portion of the couch.

"I've heard of manspreading before but not mikanspreading! You jested. Chika looked at her with a confused look, her sentient hair falling to the side with her head tilt.

"If you don't get it, don't worry about it." You said with a sigh. She looked outside to see the darkness through the big windows.

"Now that it's night, what do we do now?" She asked to the group. Dia stood up with her arms folded.

"Well, I think it's time we bade a certain someone goodbye." Dia said. "I'll be right back, I'm going to go lead him out to the car." As she started to walk around the couch, Ruby grabbed her by the wrist.

"Dia, wait. I want to be the one to say goodbye. There's a few things I want to say to him first." She said with a sad look. She gazed at the floor avoiding Dia's gaze. Dia stood there a moment thinking over it.

"Let her go." Kanan said to Dia. "Let Ruby take the reins for once. She just wants to say goodbye." Dia sighed and stepped back.

"Alright, I'll let you go. But knowing who he is, I'd be wary."

"Y-Yes, big sis." She said as she slowly walked around the couch and towards the hallway. Dia sat down on the couch with a concerned stare. She wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of Ruby going off alone with him but she knew Kanan was right.

"I still can't believe he would be the type of person to do that." Mari said somberly. "He seemed so nice."

"Guess you can't judge a book by it's cover." Yoshiko added. "If he'd tried getting at mine I'd probably give him a hard slap at the very least."

"I've seen people like that before." Karla said. "They're all nice until they wanna get physical. Some boys can't control their urges no matter how nice they may be."

"Who'd think that such a weird kink could've lead to something like this." Chika said. "I was starting to really like the guy too…"

"Well, I'm sure Ruby will take this as a good experience and-" Dia began, only to be cut off by a bloodcurdling scream from down the hall. From Timothy's room. Dia leapt up and raced down the hall towards the door swung ajar. Her anger had reached a critical point. Every last insult and thought she had about him up until now raced through her mind. She was ready to give him hell. She was ready to strangle him if not kill him.

" _Timothy you bastard...treating my sister like some sort of sex toy are you!? I swear I'll make you pay for everything you've ever done wrong! I'll beat you senseless until your own parents don't recognise you! I'll kill you... I'll fucking kill you…"_

Dia's thoughts accumulated into one as she grabbed ahold of the door. She turned and faced the room, mouth wide open to scream out everything...but she didn't. Instead, it hung open as her eyes widened in terror. There was Timothy, in the center of the room hanging from the ceiling fan by a noose. Ruby was in front of him, sobbing lightly as she read what appeared to be a suicide note. The other members ran to the door to behold the tragic scene for themselves. Riko screamed at the top of her lungs, Mari passed out and Yoshiko vomited. They all shared the same horrific expression. Dia slowly stepped forward. She noticed Ruby had stopped crying. Ruby whirled the paper back in Dia's direction.

"Read it. Aloud." Ruby said in a choked up voice. Mari came too, burying her face in Kanan's shoulder to sob loudly. With shaky hands, Dia picked up the note and held it out in front of her. She began to read.

"I'm sorry Ruby, I shouldn't have acted like I could be with you. I knew it was doomed from the start but a part of me couldn't hold back. I never could. I let it get the best of me, and I ended up sexually harassing you in the end. I didn't have anywhere else to go, my life was over. I simply took the liberty of letting my body and soul die together. Everything Dia said was right. I am worthless. I didn't deserve to live. I don't deserve you. Everything down to that kick to my head...I deserved it all for disgracing you so. I hope you can forgive me for all I've done even if I don't deserve your forgiveness."

The letter fell from Dia's shaky hands. Dia put them to her head as the realization set in. The group looked at Dia in disbelief.

"You...kicked him in the head?" Chika choked out. "Please tell me that was some terrible mistake…"

"I...I did...I told him everything he said I did...I had no clue he'd-"

"That he had depression?" Ruby growled. Ruby's fists were clenched. Dia turned to her, arms stretching out.

"I didn't know...Ruby I didn't-"

"Get out of here." She said with a rising anger in her voice. Dia thought back to the conversation with Kanan before the camp when he was first hired. " _Kanan was trying to tell me something...she was going to warn me about his depression wasn't she? Oh god, why didn't I listen?"_

"Ruby please, I never wanted this to-"

" _ **I SAID GET OUT!"**_ She screamed, turning around with a look not even Dia had seen before. It was a look of pure rage that was scarier than any face even she had made before. Ruby's face was incredibly tense, her pupils dilated and her teeth grit tightly to form a monstrous glare of hatred. Dia staggered back in terror and a mix of other strong emotions that was too much for her to handle. She ran as fast as she could out of the room and down the hall. She tore out the door and down the steps to the beach. Her teardrops flew from her face in the night breeze. The salty sea air stung her eyes. She ran onto the beach, her thoughts overwhelming her. The weight was too much to bear on her. By keeping a promise, she had taken a life. Her tired legs couldn't function right any longer, and she tripped and fell face first into the sand. She lay there a moment in a mental breakdown, her tears wiping the sand particles from her eyes. She eventually sat back up on her feet, staring down the cold empty beach with light sobs. She tilted her head back and screamed her sorrows into the empty night air.

* * *

The training camp was cut short, Dia and Ruby going home in separate cars. Hanamaru comforted Ruby on the ride back. The story hit the news by storm, the details of Dia's involvement and the cause covered up from the press thankfully. They suspected something was up, but revealing he had clinical depression helped calm the storm to a certain extent. Ruby woke up the next day lying motionless in her bed. She stared at the ceiling with no intent at all. Practice had been cancelled for the day to give them some time to recover. Ruby could smell pancakes cooking. She had smelled it for quite a while. With a sigh she rolled out of bed and threw on a random set of clothes. She really didn't care. She ran her hands through her hair to give some semblance of having it brushed. She didn't want to put up her pigtails either. She walked out into the kitchen to find a needless amount of of pancakes on the table. Dia was cooking some more at the moment. Noticing Ruby, she turned around to face her.

"I made you some pancakes Ruby! Get them while they're hot!" She said with a smile. It wasn't a warm and comforting one though, it looked more like the smile of a psychopath who had finally snapped. Ruby looked away.

"I'm not hungry." She said quietly, heading towards the door. She put on her shoes without a word.

"W-Wait, I'll come with you! I can buy you something if you want! Do you want me to-"

"Dia." Ruby said, cutting her off with an irritated look. "Can you give me some space?" She walked out and closed the door without another word. Dia dropped to her knees.

" _Oh god...what have I done?"_ Dia thought to herself as she gently wept in the doorway.

Ruby went out for a walk with no destination in mind. She couldn't remember the last time she had gone outdoors with her hair down. It was raining lightly, but not enough for Ruby to care. She walked down the street wherever her feet guided her, her mind drifting here and there.

" _Why am I walking in the rain?"_ She thought to herself. " _Why didn't I just stay in my bedroom? I bet it was those pancakes that reminded me too much of Dia. That must be it, I guess I wanted to get away from her...just for now."_

Her feet took her to a railing near the ocean. She let her arms rest on the railing and buried her head in them. She sighed heavily. Her mind began to drift from reason to reason. Insults turned to nonsense, nonsense turned to nothingness and nothingness turned to grasps for reason. Then the obvious occurred to her.

" _Ever since our mom went missing...Dia has always played the role of a mother. I never liked being scolded, I never liked being told what I needed to do so I could become what I wanted...but I loved when she acted like a true sister. When we dressed up and sang songs...I loved that...why couldn't I just have a sister? But then again...would that even be Dia? Mom...where are you now? I never even met you before but...I miss you. Please help us...I don't know what to do…"_


	10. Chapter 10: Without You

Chapter 10: Without You

About a week later, things hadn't improved at all between the sisters. Ruby and Dia never talked to each other, sometimes glancing sadly at one another. Neither wanted to confront the other. Everyone at practice knew it and couldn't help but get distracted by their worries, dragging morale through the mud. It was a serious blow to everyone, and no clear solution was arising. It was a Tuesday, the cool fall wind blowing coldly against Ruby's face as she made her way to the studio. She knew Dia was already there, as they had established a sort of time difference to commute to the office of about 10-15 minutes. They were eating cold cereal instead of pancakes like they usually would, Dia hardly bothering to dress herself as thoroughly as she usually would. Some days went by where they didn't even hear each other's voices. As Ruby trailed her fingers over a freezing railing, she made her way into the building. She gazed into the common room where she first met Timothy, half imagining him there with his game console engrossed away from everyone else. She sighed heavily, walking slowly to the studio. When she opened the door, she noticed most of the studio was empty. Curiously, she looked around until she saw Karla standing by the door.

"Oi, Ruby!" She called with a wave. "We're having a meeting. Hurry it along!"

"Ok, ok!" Ruby said with mild annoyance. "You don't need to rush me."

Karla grunted. Ruby had gotten a bit of attitude since the incident, clearly more irritable. Nobody could blame her, but Karla was getting a bit sick of it. Karla always responded to things that bothered her vocally or at the very least passive aggressively. As Ruby stepped into the room, the two of them glanced at each other with a shared look of annoyance. Ruby sat down on the far end of the table away from Dia. Dia stared sadly at her hands. Karla walked up to the front of the room, starting with a heavy sigh. They all knew this wasn't going to go well.

"Listen up, assholes!" She began in her usual vulgarity, "I'm sick of y'all moping around and killing the mood. You're professionals now, so acting the part ain't that hard. If I'm the one acting responsible here and trying to push something, I feel like you should all know something's up. I sure as hell don't have the biggest brain of the bunch, but I know you're all better than this. Starting today, I'm gonna make a push to get this stupid thing-"

"Karla." Ruby interrupted. "These things just take time. Don't get so worked up, things will go back to normal on their own, ok?"

"Ruby, we have an album set for release soon. We lost valuable time at the training camp, and Kanan was sick as a dog so she didn't get to do much other than puke in a bucket and feel like shit all day. We need to have this settled as soon as possible, ya hear?"

"Karla, I'm not just going to forgive and forget because you tell me to. Now go mind your own business and leave me be."

"I'm your advisor, it's literally my job to be on top of your business." Karla said, her tone beginning to raise as she tightened her fists. "If you don't want this group to go under, learn to pull your own weight."

"I don't wanna hear it, so just shut up already!" Ruby said with a glare. Karla slammed her fist onto the table, making a few jump back in surprise.

"Don't talk to me that way you little bitch!" Karla said, returning the glare. Hanamaru glanced from the argument to Dia who was sitting next to her. Dia was shaking. She normally would speak up and silence something like this, but now she was too scared to. Hanamaru could see the despair in her eyes.

"Both of you calm down, getting angry isn't going to help anything." Kanan broke in, standing up and looking scoldingly at the two of them. They both sat down wordlessly, Karla folding her arms and fidgeting with her sleeve.

"Look, I think part of what Karla was saying was right, but we can't force things. We're not going to work well in this state, so I want us all to go home early tosya and think over what you want to do." Kanan turned to Ruby. "Even if you can't bring yourself to forgiveness now, I'd like you to at least think over what you could do so down the line things will go back to how it was. Ok?"

Ruby sighed. "I guess." Without another word, she got up and walked right out the door. "What a waste of my time, why did I even come in here today?" She said under her breath as he walked back out.

"I'd like to stay here and have a chat with you if you don't mind." Mari said, putting her hand lightly on Kanan's shoulder. "I think I have an idea."

* * *

Ruby did nothing for the rest of the day. She laid in her bed, tried to sleep and occasionally passed out for an hour or so. Karla and Kanan's words rang in her head, baraging her mind. " _Karla may have had good intentions but...she didn't need to be so rude. She's always so full of herself. I hate it when people tell em what to do. Have I always thought this way? Maybe it's just a result of this whole mess. What gives them the right to tell me how I should be living? Who I hang out with? Who I trust? Dia went and did that all the time and look at her now. Stained by guilt, moping around all day. You did that to yourself, jerk. Jerk... Jerk... Jerk…"_

Ruby snapped out of her internal monologue, looking at the clock. It was about 12 in the morning. She had spent all day thinking of what she could do or not do, which resulted in a huge headache. Groaning, she sat up and got out of bed. She was thirsty. She stopped in front of Dia's room. She paused a moment and and glanced inside through a small sliver. Dia was asleep in her bed, facing the wall. She had buried herself in blankets. Ruby tiptoed her way to her desk, taking a peek at what Dia had been doing. In the faint moonlight she could make out a few designs for costumes. They all had various themes and were overall pretty nice looking. Ruby however knew her sister too well to see something was off.

" _Why does have such large gloves in all of these costumes? She's told me before that the length of that can flap around too loosely. It's not like her to make a mistake like that…"_

Ruby shook her head and snuck back out without waking Dia. As she came to the kitchen, she noticed some stuff on the counter.

" _Dia must have made a sandwich and forgotten to put away the dishes. Just because you're feeling all mopey doesn't mean you can be a slob."_

She got out a glass and put it up to the faucet to get a drink. She got a bit too much water in it, so she took a quick sip over the sink to lower the water level. There was a faint but odd taste to the water, just enough to stand out.

" _Dang it, maybe the filter's acting up again. Better not drink any more of this."_ She thought as she poured the rest down the drain. She went to the fridge to grab a glass of milk instead. Cold milk in the middle of the night isn't the best thing Ruby wanted, but it was better than nothing. She walked back to her room slowly and quietly, hoping the next day everyone would have a good plan that would help ease her mind.

* * *

Ruby walked in the next day to find another meeting going on. Everyone was looking at the head of the room where Mari stood in front of the white board with a knowing smile. Ruby knew she was up to something.

"Good Mooooooooorning my little Wubykins! Auntie Mari's here to share a cool new idea!"

"Please never call me that again." Ruby said passive aggressively.

"I got a plan, and it's just 7 letters!" Mari said, scribbling away at the white board to form huge letters."A! M! E! R! I! C! A! A-me-ric-AAAAAAAAAAh!" Mari sung in an opera voice.

"Mari what in the world is this?" You asked, puzzled.

"We're going on a tour overseas! Broadening our horizons! In a week, we'll be touring in the U. S. of A! We're taking part in an autumn music festival, so shape up girls and let's get ready to rock!"

"A week!?" Riko burst in. "That's hardly any time to practice!"

"Then you better get that booty into action and kick it doing some practice!"

"Do we even have costumes for it yet?" Yoshiko added.

"I happened to spy Dia making a few new outfits!" Mari said with a wink. "I think Ruby's is especially cute!"

Dia wordlessly got out her notebook, pushing it onto the table for everyone to see. Chika practically jumped onto the table looking at it.

"Wow, Dia! This is really cute! I never knew you were into costume making!"

"I-It's nothing special...really. I think I drew the sleeves a bit too short…"

Ruby looked skeptically over her design. The gloves were pretty big, albeit fitting the hands themselves right. Her analysis from the night prior still hadn't changed, but something was still off. " _She should know that's too big, let alone too small! Her arms are fully exposed for the most part, is she trying to make it extend up most of her arm? That makes no sense, in Old Aqours they tried a glove like that and Dia said it was so uncomfortable she didn't want to do it again...so why is she doing it now? Is she trying to do this as a form of self-punishment?"_

"I think the length is just fine!" Chika said happily. "Don't change a thing, I'm immediately in love with it!"

"You really think so? I just made what came to mind…" Dia said with her eyes on her knees.

"Don't be so hard on yourself! I think it's great!" You chimed in. "If you wanna trust anyone on making a costume right, I'm your girl! And I say you did great!"

"Well...thanks I guess. I still don't think it's special."

"Ruby, what do you think?" Chika said with her hands on Ruby's shoulders. "I know you love costumes too!"

Ruby looked at the design silently as Dia sat with a dejected look. Dia knew Ruby would pick up on it.

"Dia, these gloves are too big. Not to be a moodkiller, but you always hated long gloves. Why add them now?"

"Well, I...I dunno what I was thinking. Sorry."

The room looked at Ruby as if waiting for her to say something. A few were shooting her frustrated looks. Ruby folded her arms and leaned back in her chair.

"Fine, we can use it for the tour. If you all love it, I won't make a scene." Ruby said. She looked off to the side expressionless. She knew Dia wouldn't make a mistake like that. There had to be something else at play. Her thought process was cut short as Mari dismissed them for practice.

* * *

Ruby meant to talk with Dia later that day, but she couldn't bring herself to. It was midnight again and she was thirsty again. She crept her way past Dia's bedroom and into the kitchen, finding another mess in the sink.

" _Really Dia, again? Can't you clean up after yourself? Maybe I should bring this up tomorrow morning. Stupid Dia."_

The shade was drawn so she couldn't see well, all she could make out was the faint outline of a knife. Same as last night. Ruby got a glass and headed over to the sink. Then she stopped and sighed.

" _Crap, I forgot to change the filter. Guess I'll go and pour a glass of milk again."_ She thought, getting the jug out and filling up her glass. She put the milk back in the fridge and went to put the knife in their dishwasher. Ruby picked up the dirty knife and went to open the dishwasher. That's when she noticed the Dishwasher's light was on. It was clean.

" _Wait a minute...there wasn't anything in the sink was there?"_ She thought, standing up and taking a look. The sink was completely empty. She felt something wet against her thumb, realizing the substance on the knife was liquidy. Ruby turned the knife to get a better look at the edge of it, as the way she had it turned blocked the moonlight. Her eyes widened with terror as she dropped it in the sink. The knife was covered in blood. She stood there for a second, reaching a possible conclusion she prayed wasn't true.

" _Dia isn't...doing what I think she is...is she?"_ Ruby thought in a trance, creeping towards Dia's room. She slid open the door. Dia was asleep facing the wall. Ruby slowly made her way to Dia's bedside. Even in her sleep, Dia looked as sad and distant as she was when awake. Ruby extended a hand and grabbed the edge of her bedsheet. She gulped.

" _Please tell me I'm wrong...Please let this just be some terrible mistake…"_ She thought with trembling hands. Reluctantly, she pulled aside the sheets. Dia's wrist and lower arm were covered in cuts, some newer than others. Judging by them, she had to have done this more than twice. Ruby took a step back and covered her mouth with both hands. She found it hard to contain the panic, trying her best to calm her breathing. She staggered out of Dia's room, walking down the hallway completely forgetting about the glass she had poured in the kitchen. She wasn't thirsty anymore. Only afraid. Her senses began to overpower her, making her pause in the hallway to sob lightly.

" _Oh god...no...anyone but her...if I don't do something soon, she might-"_

Ruby's mind shut down. It was too painful a prospect to think about. She fell to the floor with her hands on top of her head.

" _You were always there to protect me...why is it when you need me most...I can't do anything?"_

* * *

Chika gazed around the airport with wonder in her eyes. She'd never been to one before, let alone boarded a plane. You had to calm her down to prevent her from making security come and have to interfere, having to remind her quite often.

"Look at it take off! How do they even get something that heavy off the ground!? It's so cool!"

"Chika, quiet down before you make a scene!"

"I can't help it, it's just so crazy!" Chika exclaimed, hands shaking in excitement. As they boarded the plane, Chika was practically hyperventilating. Riko stood back a bit to watch them with a defeated smile. Riko couldn't blame her, thanks to Mari they were riding first class. Riko couldn't lie and say she wasn't a bit excited herself. Chika hummed and skipped into the room, her eyes gazing over the vast array of fancy stuff. They even had a personal bar for their own use. Chika practically squealed in delight, waving to the rest of them.

"It's so beautiful! Look at all these fancy things! I can't believe people don't like flying!" She blurted out excitedly.

"Don't let everyone else hear that." Karla said, glancing back towards the rest of the plane. She had never dreamed she'd get the opportunity to fly first class let alone at all, but here she was. She took in a deep breath, taking in the warm comfortable air. She felt great. Looking over at the bartender, she noticed his face seemed familiar.

"Hey, aren't you the guy from Mari's summer home?" She asked, resting one arm on the table.

"Ah yes, I follow Mari wherever she goes for her constant assistance. It'd part of my job description." He said with a bow.

"You do get vacation right?" Karla asked with a bit of concern in her voice.

"It's not that big a deal, I sometimes get weekends off. She pays well which helps my family out, which is what's important."

" _Is it even legal to make him work with that little vacation?"_ Karla pondered to herself. As they all settled in, Dia and Ruby sat on couches on opposite sides of the airplane. Chika stared out the window, listening to the roar of the engines as they started up. She pressed her face up to the glass as they started to move down the runway. The rush of momentum made Karla stagger as she grabbed a seat. Everyone was glued to the windows, watching Japan become farther and farther below them. Soon, they were above the clouds and on their way to California. Chika spent the next half hour or so gushing about everything that day, followed by them watching a comedy for about an hour or so. As day became night, Chika was first to turn in for the night. All her yelling had tired her out. Everyone was asleep for the most part, Yoshiko tossing and turning in an attempt to sleep. Sleeping in an airplane wasn't as comfortable as she had hoped, even in first class. She rolled to the side and got out of bed.

" _Ugh, where's the bathroom?"_ She thought as she wandered towards the restrooms. She noticed the light on the door was red for occupied. It was a First Class only restroom, so it had to be one of the girls. Glancing around the room she was able to deduct who it was.

" _There's Hanamaru and there's Mari...yeah, it has to be Ruby."_ She thought. She went to knock, but the door opened before she had the chance to. Ruby peeked out, looking at Yoshiko.

"What are you doing up?" Ruby whispered. "I thought everyone was asleep."

"I couldn't, the plane's been messing with me I guess. Either way, I gotta go so…"

"One sec." Ruby asked. "Mind coming in here with me for a second? I need to talk to you in private about something."

Yoshiko looked at her skeptically, turning around for a second to make sure nobody was awake to get the wrong idea. She turned around and nodded. They both entered the small restroom, locking the door quietly. Ruby sighed and began to tell Yoshiko about her discovery about Dia. The whole time she told the story, Ruby hugged herself with her arms.

"Are you going to tell everyone else?" Yoshiko asked with concern.

"No. At least not yet. I don't want to cause distress, especially right before such a happy event. I'll probably try to cheer Dia up after the event, or at least try to comfort her. I kind of still find it hard to forgive her but...I'm scared for her. What am I supposed to do? What do I say? I'm so scared…"

Yoshiko didn't know what to do either. Keeping Ruby's wish in mind was the best she could do.

"I'll keep it a secret for now. Also uh...can I use the bathroom now?"

"Yeah, sure. Good night Yoshiko."

* * *

It was a strange experience to be in an entirely different country, everyone but Mari being new to the idea. Having to rely on Mari for proper translations wasn't something they were thrilled about, but as they hadn't taken much in the way of English they had little choice. Thankfully, Mari kept pranks to a minimum. It didn't mean she didn't do anything, as Kanan ended up getting a spicy wrap by "accident" at one point. Mari got quite the photo of Kanan's facial reaction to it too. Finally came the big moment, the moments just before the show. Chika peered through the curtain at the massive crowd out on a large field, glow sticks and excited folks as far as the eye could see. Chika's smile grew, turing back to the other members glowing with excitement.

"It's packed!" Chika said excitedly. "I wasn't sure we would get such a huge crowd in America, but I guess people love us here too!"

"It's so weird having a fall festival without the festivities we're used to back home!" You commented. "I hear they don't sell chocolate bananas here whatsoever."

"That explains why I couldn't find any." Yoshiko pouted.

"We can go to some nice place for a celebration dinner." Kanan suggested. "I wonder how different it'll be from the food we're used to."

"I've already got reservations at a fancy restaurant nearby!" Mari chimed in. "I'm two steps ahead of you sweetheart!~"

"Who are you calling sweetheart?" Kanan questioned. The group giggled, Yoshiko pausing for a second to walk over to Ruby.

"You're going to be fine out there, ok?" Yoshiko encouraged. "Just give em a smile and you'll feel just like you always have!"

"It's not me I'm worried about." Ruby said, looking over her shoulder at Dia standing apart from the group with a sad expression. "I'm worried about her."

"Then why not give her a word of advice?" Yoshiko asked. "It might help lift her spirits a bit."

"Well I...I just-"

"Come on Ruby. Now would be a perfect time! Just do it!"

"But-" Ruby started as a director ran up to the group, cutting her off.

"We're about to go live, best of luck girls!" He said with a wave. Yoshiko sighed.

" _Too late for that now."_ Yoshiko thought, stepping into position. The lights dimmed and the curtain moved aside to reveal the cheering crowd. Ruby forced a smile and took a deep breath. Standing up, they began their first live in America. The 4th song in, Ruby and Dia ended up somewhat close to each other. They exchanged glances, their smiles faltering slightly for a split second. It wasn't enough for anyone else to notice, but Ruby wasn't feeling any better. It was pretty dark out by that point, about 9:30 or so if she had to guess. Ruby's mood began to improve as she watched the smiling faces from the crowd. Everyone seemed to having such a good time she couldn't help but feel a bit happier. As the song ended, they were met with a round of applause.

" _I guess Mari was right, this was what we needed."_ She thought happily. " _I'll have to cheer up Dia during the break in the middle, she should at least be allowed to enjoy this the same way I am."_

"Thank you, thank you!" Mari called to the audience. "We of Aqours are delighted to be here for your festival in A! M! E! R! I! C! A!"

The crowd cheered in response, Mari waving her hands in front of her to them all. Chika was next to take up the mic.

"It's such a blast for you all to welcome us so warmly! I'd love to come back again with all my friends for some more fun!"

At the sound of a boom, Ruby looked to the sky.

" _Wow, I didn't know we had fireworks planned!"_ She thought happily. Her happy expression scanned the empty night sky turning puzzled. Looking back over the crowd, a growing dread started looming over her. The happy cheering had turned to screams of horror amidst even more booms.

" _Those aren't fireworks...those are...gunshots."_

The security guard motioned for the petrified idols to get back behind the stage. Chika looked like she was about to cry.

" _It was going so well...why would anyone do this? Who could do something like this?"_ Chika thought as she slowly stepped backwards before rushing off stage with the rest of the members. Dia waved for them to get back, turning around to look over the chaos. Then she saw Ruby, standing still frozen with fear staring across the pandemonium. Dia ran back, grabbing Ruby by the shoulders and turning her towards her.

"Snap out of it, Ruby!" She yelled. "Get back there where it's safe!"

Ruby acknowledged, finally snapping to attention. She nodded and began to run. She looked back at Dia who began to follow suit. Then it happened. Ruby looked over her shoulder to watch in horror as a bullet tore a hole right through Dia's chest, blood splattering instantly from the wound. Dia fell to the stage, clutching her stomach as she screamed in agony. With her mic still attached, her screams echoed for the whole crowd to hear. Ruby ran back to help, only for Mari to grab Ruby and pull her back. Ruby kicked and screamed Dia's name over and over. Her screams were drowned out by Dia's, Dia's soon drowned out by the sound of incoming sirens.

* * *

"Yes. I'm afraid I'm going to have to cancel the reservation." Kanan said over the phone. "It's Mari Ohara. Ok, thank you. Have a good night." With a beep she hung up. She put the phone on the charger, walking over to Mari who was sobbing into her pillow.

"Alright, I cancelled it."

"T-Thank you…" Mari said in a choked up voice. She was too emotionally wrecked to make the call, so she had asked Kanan to do it for her. Chika, You and Riko had also moved to their bedroom. Hanamaru and Yoshiko were busy consoling Ruby, or at least trying to.

"I...I don't understand." Chika began. "It was such a happy place. Everyone was smiling. Everyone was having fun. Why did it have to end this way?"

"Life can be shitty sometimes." Karla added in. "Even the best things have the possibility to go wrong. I've learned that the hard way, and it seems you all have too."

"I want to know who would even do something like this." You said angrily. "When I figure out what scum would do this I'll-"

"You didn't get the report yet did you?" Karla cut in. "The man was at a hotel overlooking the festival. He shot several rounds from the window into the crowd before shooting himself dead. He killed himself before the cops could arrive, so we have no ideas as to why he did this."

"I...see." You said. "So we'll never know why huh?"

"More than likely. At least if he's dead he won't kill anyone else." Karla said with a scowl.

"If he was aiming in that direction, he probably meant to shoot Ruby." Mari added. "If Dia hadn't stepped in, Ruby might've been the one shot."

The room sat in silence. There was a sudden knock on their door as a defeated Hanamaru and Yoshiko stepped into the room.

"Any luck?" Riko asked.

"She's inconsolable." Hanamaru began. "It's like she can't even hear us. She's beyond traumatised."

"What's she been saying?" You asked worriedly.

"She's repeating herself like a madman. I keep hearing her whisper to herself that she doesn't want Dia to die thinking she hates her. It was too much to bear, so we left. She needs some time to recover from the initial shock."

"She was hung up over Timothy for quite a while but never like this." Kanan pointed out. "It may be months before she'll even think of being an idol again. And that's given that Dia survives-"

"She'll live!" Chika yelled. "She has too! Dia's too strong for something like this to kill her! She can't...she can't…"

"I get what you're saying Chika, but we have to consider the possibility." Kanan said firmly. "Of course I want her to live! But if she doesn't pull through then Aqours may-"

"It can't!" Chika wailed. "We came so far, Dia can't die! I won't let her!"

"Chika, stop yelling!" Kanan yelled, ignoring her own advice. "There's nothing we can do right now, so don't vent your anger at me!"

Chika stood up, fists clenched and left the room slamming the door behind her. Kanan wiped the tears from her eyes and sighed heavily. Chika ran down the hallway to Ruby's room.

" _I'm going to do something!"_ Chika thought as she stormed down the hall. " _I'm an idol! I can bring a smile to anyone's face! If Kanan is going to sit there and mope, at the very least I can help Ruby cheer up. I refuse to accept Dia will die! She can't!"_

Angrily, Chika, threw open the door to Ruby's room. Her enthusiasm was completely shattered at the sight of Ruby. She was huddled in a corner of the room, laying on her side and hugging her knees. Her eyes twitched about and she had a shaky smile that displayed utter insanity. In fact, her whole body was shaking. She was giggling to herself.

"R-Ruby?" Chika asked fearfully.

"Can you hear them? Can you hear them? All I hear is screams!" Ruby rambled. "The screams won't go away! They keep yelling in my ears! They tell me Dia's dead! If I hadn't gotten mad this wouldn't have happened! If Mari hadn't tried coming here to cheer us up this wouldn't have happened! If I hadn't froze this wouldn't have happened! The screams torment me because I did this...it's all my fault...ahahahahaha…"

Chika ran over to Ruby and grabbed her head.

"Ruby, snap out of it!"

"Can you hear them too? Are the screams drowning you too?"

"Ruby, please stop!" Chika begged as tears began to fall.

"I can't make it stop...I can't make it stop...I can't make it stop…"

"Dia will be fine! Trust me, she's alive! She can't die!"

"You heard them too didn't you? Those screams that echoed through the night air? Don't tell me she's alive! She's dead, and it's my fault!"

"Ruby, she'll be-"

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, **it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault…"**


	11. Chapter 11: It's All My Fault

Chapter 11: It's All My Fault

It was too risky to fly Dia back to Japan in her current state, so they were all stranded in their hotel until she was deemed safe to return. Nobody had been able to see Dia since the event, especially since she was undergoing intensive care. Everyone has fallen asleep in Mari's room along with the rest of the group save for Ruby. Yoshiko and Hanamaru couldn't bear to sleep in the same room as her. Even after waking up, they all just sat in a daze. Nobody knew what to do, what to say, anything. Karla stood out on the balcony, smoking a cigarette to try relaxing a bit to no avail. She stared out at the busy street nearby, people walking by who she would never know and who would never know her.

" _I remember when I used to be like that."_ She thought to herself, " _One of many individual faces, pushed into an identical crowd. Here I am looking down on them from up here, them looking up to whatever it is they wish for. I'm not an official Idol of Aqours, but somehow I feel as affected as the rest of them. Do I fear returning to obscurity? Damn, deep stuff like this makes my head hurt."_

Her thoughts were interrupted at the sound of the sliding door opening. Turning her head, she saw Chika with a gloomy expression at the door.

"Mind if I join you?" She asked. Karla exhaled a puff of smoke and turned her head.

"As long as you don't mind me smoking."

"No, no, I have no problem with that."

Karla sighed and stared back out over the city. Chika rested her arms on the railing and stared out over the world with her.

"You know Chika, when I first heard about you I thought us to be different, polar opposites in fact. I thought you were some kid who wanted to just be some famous star without a care for how to get there without all the suffering. I found comfort in the idea that I could believe my opinion was the correct one, and next thing I knew I had destroyed everything I took for granted. I used to be a nobody, and once I had a touch of glory I feared going back. Did you ever feel the same way?"

"After Aqours disbanded...I felt so empty. Like a part of my soul had been ripped out. I told myself not to cry, but nothing felt like a place I truly belonged. Ever since we started Aqours again, I've been thinking about what it would mean were our efforts to fall through. To be honest, I don't know what I'd do. I don't want to pick mikans or run a hotel for the rest of my life, but at the same time I'm incredibly lucky to be here with all my friends doing what I love. Is that arrogant of me?"

Karla tapped on her cigarette to knock off a bit of ash at the tip before taking another hit.

"Even if I don't consider myself an idol of Aqours, I can't help but feel scared to return to my life beforehand as you do. When you all opened your hearts to me and took me in, I never thought I'd truly be like the rest of you. But here I am, just as scared as everyone else to lose Aqours. I guess we're all a bit arrogant huh?"

"Maybe…" Chika said, slouching forward onto the railing. Turning hey eyes to Karla, she noticed she was shaking. She'd never seen Karla so rattled before, usually Chika saw her as this tough as nails rolemodel of strength...albeit not a good model of much else. This was a side of Karla not many saw, and it seemed she was comfortable letting Chika see it. Their thoughts were interrupted as the door opened up again. It was Kanan who looked stressed out to no end.

"In a few minutes the hospital report should get to us about Dia's surgery and condition. Let's hope it's good news." Kanan said with an unsteady voice. She too was trembling. Looking back through the glass sliding door, everyone else looked about the same. They all sat with scared looks on their faces looking at their feet. They all stood in silence, a heavy tension over the whole room. Then the phone rang. Everyone looked up at it, Kanan walking slowly towards it with a trembling hand. She put it up to her ear and answered with a scared voice.

"H-Hello? Y-Yes, we're waiting to hear Dia Kurosawa's surgery results." There was a long pause. "I-I'm her friend and co-worker, Kanan Matsuura. Yes we're part of an idol group called Aqours…" Another pause. Kanan kept her gaze at the wall. Eventually, her eyes began to widen. Tears started to form, rolling down her cheek. Everyone looked on with horror in their expressions.

"Oh god…" Riko choked out. "Don't tell me…"

"Y-Yes." Kanan finished. "Have a nice day." She placed the phone down and punched the wall sobbing. Chika ran up to her and grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Please, tell me she's alive! She can't die! She couldn't…"

"Dia...Dia…" Kanan tried to speak but failed to speak any further.

"Just nod or shake your head! You don't need to say it! Is she alive!?" Chika said desperately. There was a long pause. Finally, Kanan nodded. Chika took a step back in puzzlement.

"But...if she's alive why are you-"

"She...she got shot in the leg after we went off stage...they said that if she doesn't recover from it she may...she may...she might not be an idol ever again!"

* * *

Hanamaru held a breakfast bagel in her hands, walking back to what would've been the room they shared. She was a bit nervous, but she knew facing Ruby was inevitable. She didn't even know if Ruby was awake yet. She held onto the door handle a moment before giving it a turn, opening up to the mostly clean room. Ruby was lying on the floor near the wall, staring into space with a blank expression. She looked up with a sad gaze at the sound of Hanamaru entering. It seems she had calmed down from last night's chaos.

"Good morning, Ruby. Feeling any better? I got you a breakfast bagel."

"Thanks but...I'm not hungry right now."

"I'm not asking Ruby. Come on, you need a bite at least!" She said, putting the bagel up to her. Reluctantly, Ruby took it in hand. She stared at it before taking a nibble out of the side, hardly enough to consider a bite at all. She put the bagel up to her lips but didn't open her mouth.

"I have some good news Ruby. It seems Dia's going to live!"

"Mmm."

"I thought you'd be a bit more excited about this. After all, her life is saved!"

"Is it really though?" Ruby cut off. Hanamaru stared at her puzzled for a moment.

"W-What do you mean? We got official confirmation that-"

"Then why was Kanan making all those mournful screams earlier?" She added sharply.

"O-Oh that? W-Well, you see um...I…" Hanamaru couldn't finish the sentence. How could she tell Ruby about what happened to her leg? One bullet was enough to traumatize her, a second would only make things worse. Hanamaru looked off to the side trying not to cry. She was doing a poor job at it.

"Hanamaru, what's happened with my sister?" Ruby asked more firmly. Hanamaru started to whimper. She buried her head in Ruby's chest, sobbing softly. Ruby tilted her head back against the wall, letting out a heavy sigh.

"I'm so sorry Hanamaru. If it weren't for me you wouldn't have this burden of telling me whatever it is that happened. This weight of burden...it's suffocating me. I can hardly breathe. I don't know where I am or what I'm doing anymore. I just want to go home…"

"Dia got shot in the leg after you all went backstage." said a voice from the door. Ruby looked up to see Yoshiko standing there with the door ajar.

"Why did you have to tell her so bluntly!?" Hanamaru questioned in disapproval.

"I'm just saying it as it is. I didn't want to be the one to tell her any more than you did. None of us do."

"Y-Yeah, but-"

"Please don't fight." Ruby cut in. "I've caused enough trouble recently, I don't need anything else to feel guilty about. Please let me breathe a little bit…"

The two gave her a quiet "sorry" in response, Yoshiko walking over towards Ruby and kneeling down.

"Is there anything you'd like, or do you want us to do anything for you?"

"I'd...really like to be alone right now." She said taking another nibble. The two stared at her a moment, Yoshiko eventually sighing and standing up.

"Ok, if you wish. By the way, do you want to go visit Dia tonight? They said she'll be open for visiting hours around 7 or 8 PM today."

Ruby hesitated, eventually nodding.

"I'm sorry Yoshiko...Hanamaru...when I go there tonight, can I go alone? I...think it's too personal to have other people there with me. It's not that I don't want you there, I just-"

"Nobody's blaming you. Take whatever time you need." Hanamaru said warmly. Yoshiko nodded as well, seconding it.

"T-Thank you…"

* * *

Ruby walked alone down the cold empty city street, a few people here and there but for the most part not a soul. The cold October wind nipped at her face, causing her to huddle in her oversized jacket. She wore her hair down to hide her identity as sunglasses would only make her stand out in the dark of the night. She could hear faint sirens in the distance among a chorus of bleating horns as hundreds of unknown people rushed home from work after a long day's work. As she passed by a large building of polished stone, she saw a man lying on the ground. He was fast asleep, using a backpack as a pillow and a singular blanket for warmth. Ruby paused for a moment to watch the poor soul, only to quickly move on when she realized she was staring.

" _He must be homeless...if only I knew how to help him. There's so much I want to do for the world, but can I really do it? Is wanting everyone to be happy such an impossible feat? Why is it I get a second chance when people like him don't? Am I really doomed to live with that haunting feeling my whole life?"_

Coming upon the hospital, she gazed up at the sign above the entrance breathlessly. She was so emotionally wracked that she could hardly breathe at all. Sighing heavily, she sucked it up and headed inside. The automatic doors opened to a large waiting room, the only people there being a bored receptionist and an elderly woman with a mask on. She was coughing hard, most likely from a bad sickness. Ruby walked up to the young lady behind the desk, grabbing the edge of the counter and looking up at her nervously.

"H-Hey, I'm here for visiting hours-"

"Name?"

"It's Ruby Kurosawa."

She scanned her computer, clicked around a bunch and looked back up unamused.

"We don't have a patient under that name, sorry." Her apology hardly sounded empathetic.

"N-No, my name is Ruby! I'm here to visit my sister."

"That's great, but I can't just have anyone running around. If you can, go find your mommy or daddy and tell em you wanna see someone. I don't have time to play around."

"W-What? No, I'm not a kid! I came here to visit by myself!"

"Look, I get you're attached to your sibling and all but I can't let you past without a legal adult."

Ruby was starting to lose her temper. She didn't want to reveal her identity, but this attendant was something else.

"No, YOU look." She said holding up her passport. "It says my age right there. Does that look like I'm not a legal adult."

The nurse waved her off with a sigh.

"Ok, ok, fine. Now take this." She said, holding out a book full of names and times. "Write your name, the patient's name and your reason for visiting. If you wanted to visit her to begin with, you should've just asked to sign in here. Don't you know how a hospital works?"

Ruby sneered, grabbing the attached pen aggressively and writing out the details. The nurse told her the room number and a shabby looking doctor escort her there. He was paper thin, a blond guy with a tired look on his face.

"Sorry about the receptionist." He apologized. "She's been having a rough time recently."

"Doesn't mean she has the right to take out out on me." She retorted un-empathetically. "It hasn't been all lollipops and rainbows for me either. What a jerk."

The guy looked off; he seemed a bit nervous. He stared into space and twiddled his fingers as they walked along. They stepped into an elevator and started to take an elevator up. He continued to look away, holding his arms around himself. She could almost sense a hint of fear coming off of him. Ruby decided to play a bit of an experiment.

"Oy."

"Y-Yes?" He replied, darting his eyes in her direction for a second before moving them away again.

"That receptionist doing a number on ya?"

"W-What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're scared of her aren't you?"

He hesitated, hunching his shoulders and tapping his fingers.

"I can sense your fear." She said with a blank stare. He hunched his shoulders even more. If he looked any paler, she would've guessed he was going to pass out.

"W-Well I-" He said before cutting himself off. Ruby put a hand on his shoulder and looked him right in the eyes.

"Or is it that you're afraid of me?"

"I-I-I'm sorry! F-Forgive me for being so rude miss!" He said loudly. Seems he was scared into formality.

" _That jerk of a receptionist must've done a number on him."_ She thought, removing her hand from his shoulder and letting the poor guy relax a bit. The elevator dinged as they hit the floor Dia was being cared for on. The doors opened with a slow rumble, the dark hallways lit by dim lights. He led her down to one room with a big wooden door. It had the number "407" on a placard spelled out in gold outlined letters.

"If you'd like some alone time, I'll remain out here in the hallway."

"I'd appreciate that, thank you." She said with a slight bow. Taking hold of the handle, she gave it a turn and entered with her eyes to the floor. She walked in and let the door slowly close behind her. She slowly looked up, finally laying eyes on her dear sister. Dia was almost fully covered by her blanket save for her shoulders and her head. She was fast asleep. Ruby had never seen her like this before; Dia was usually so strong and gave off this aura of leadership and maturity. Her hair was messy, spread out without the slightest semblance of care unlike her usual finely managed look. There was an oxygen mask on her face, her soft but somehow ragged breathing heard faintly. Upon closer inspection, Ruby noticed lines on her face that seemed to be dried tear marks. She must've cried a ton for them to be as visible as they were. With a trembling lip, she put her hand gently on the edge of the bed.

" _I did this to you...it's my fault you had to go through this. If I didn't then-"_

Ruby's thoughts were interrupted when she remembered Dia's wrist. In a panic to make sure they hadn't found out, she grabbed the blanket and pulled it aside. Her wrist was wrapped with a bandage, no doubt the work of the hospital. Then something caught her eye. Turning her head down Dia's body, her attention fell on her injured leg. She gasped and covered her mouth, taking a step back. Her vision began to blur with tears.

" _Her...leg...where is...her leg?"_

Noticing Dia's body shift, her attention turned to Dia. Dia batted her eyes before gazing up at Ruby. She stared up weakly and sadly.

"So you've...found out…" she said in a soft yet labored voice. Dia was too exhausted to speak in even her normal voice. "About...my leg."

"W-Why?" Ruby said, shaking her head vigorously. "Couldn't they have just fixed it or replaced something or-"

"They had no choice. I'd lost too much blood to perform that kind of surgery. The amount of damage would've been too much time to fix up before I bled out. I'm apparently lucky not to be...not need a wheelchair. They're giving me a...prosthetic one."

"But...but you'll still be able to dance with us in Aqours again, right? Right?"

Dia's lip shook and her eyes widened in despair. She didn't have the strength to sit up or bring her arms to her face to wipe away her running eyes.

"This is all my fault Ruby, if I hadn't forced myself to keep that promise then…"

"Promise? Dia, what do you mean? Promised who what!?"

"I promised dad...I'd take care of you...in our mother's place...but look at this mess I've made. I couldn't protect you...your feelings...your friends...I couldn't even tell you...the truth…"

"The...truth? Dia, what's going on? What's this promise and what's it got to do with mom? All I know is she vanished long ago! What are you hiding from me!?"

"I'm sorry...I'm such a bad sister aren't I? I kept it a secret because dad told me not to tell you. He wanted you to grow up without that pain in the back of your mind...Knowing that she...she…"

Ruby finally put it together. Somewhere deep down she knew mom wasn't coming home. She just couldn't bring herself admit it. She wanted to think her mom was still alive, even after all these years of growing up without her. She didn't even know her mother's face save for pictures in the family album. All Ruby wished for was a chance to see her mother, just one last time…

"I know Dia." Ruby said, choked up. "I knew it for so long...but nobody had told me directly so I...I wanted to hang on to some glimmer of hope. If only I knew that all this time you were trying to look out for me because of that promise...if only I…"

"Ruby, don't blame yourself. This isn't your fault, none of it is. I'm the only one who did anything wro-"

Dia was cut off as Ruby practically tackled her in a tight hug. She wrapped her hand around the back of Dia's head and lifted her up a bit with her other. She nuzzled against the side of Dia's head, whimpering softly. Dia was frozen in shock for a second, her hands laying weakly by her side. Using what little energy she had left, she let them move up Ruby's back to give her a hug in return. They stayed in an embrace for what seemed like ages as they both cried out all the pain they'd endured for the past month or so, a cleansing of sisterly love. At long last, they were sisters again.

* * *

That night, Chika stood at the window by her lonesome. The news of Dia's condition wasn't as big as the initial shock of the possibility, but it left everyone with this looming sense of dread. Without Dia, what would become of Aqours? Would Dia even be able to be a part of Aqours again if she couldn't dance?

Chika laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling and listening to the faint sound of rain once more. She hardly acknowledged the sense of Deja Vu she was feeling, lost too deep in her own thoughts. The sound of typing on keys nearby faded into the mist of obscurity Chika's conscience was floating around in. Karla was on her laptop writing out an official statement on behalf of Aqours to address the situation. She kept a firm stare at her laptop, typing away swiftly and aggressively at the message. With a sigh, she turned to Chika and the other girls. Karla had chosen to work on the message with Chika as she figured she was the best person to have critique it.

"Oy, Chika. I finished the thing you wanted me to do." When Chika didn't respond, You poked her on the nose. Chika blinked her eyes and looked up at her.

"Something up?" Chika asked.

"Karla finished the message. Come have a look."

The four girls gathered around the bed, Karla turning the laptop to face them so they could read it. Chika cleared her throat as she began.

"Due to the unfortunate aftermath of the American Autumn Festival Show, Aqours will be going on hiatus for about 2-3 months to allow Dia sufficient time to recover and plans to be made. We apologize for the inconvenience and our hearts go out to the victims of this tragedy. Have a good day and remember to spread love and care for those around you! Every life has meaning."

"Didn't know you were so kind hearted, Karla." Riko mused.

"Me? Kind hearted? I was just trying to send a good message is all. If I wanted to put my true feelings in and act out of professionality I'd have a lot more to say about the scumbag who did this." Karla retorted, staring at a wall.

"You're a terrible liar, you know that?"

"Mind your damn business, will ya?"

"Not with that blush of yours I can't."

"S-Shut up and tell me if I can post it yet."

The once second years looked at each other and nodded firmly. Karla turned to her laptop again and sent out the message for all to see. With that, she closed her laptop and stood up to take her leave.

"I'm exhausted, emotionally and physically, I'm off to bed. Y'all have a good night." She said before closing the door, leaving the room to just the three of them. They each returned to their beds and laid down, You making sure to hit the lights before they did so. You grabbed her bedsheet as she was about to climb on when she paused. She looked back over at Chika who laid with a lonely gaze at the ceiling. You gazed for a few seconds before getting a smug grin. Putting back down her blanket, she went over to Chika's bed and hopped under the covers.

"W-Wah! You-chan, what are you doing!?" She asked, startled. You grabbed onto her shoulder and snuggled close.

"You, what's gotten into you?" Riko asked, sitting up and staring at them with a baffled look.

"If you're not gonna join us then I guess I get all the snuggles to myself!~"

"H-Hey, that's no fair! Fine, I'll join you!" Riko pouted, hopping over to the bed and snuggling in as well.

"You two are squishing me!"

"Look out or I'll poke your nose- OW! Hey, who kicked me?"

"Sorry, that was me!"

"I want a bit more covers!"

"You already have all the covers!"

"No you do!"

"Your elbow is digging into my chest!"

"Riko, stop crushing Chika!"

"I wasn't the one who decided to jump in her bed first!"

The girls all stopped their fussing for a second and stared at each other. Riko stifled a laugh. Next thing they knew, they were all consumed by a massive fit of giggling. As their giggle fit began to wear off, they all laid down next to each other smiling.

"You know...this reminds me of when we first started Aqours...when it was just us three." Chika reminisced.

"I remember thinking it was just something silly we were doing at the time...I had never even wanted to be an idol to begin with. If only I knew how much it would mean to me now."

"I was even further from just not caring, who knows how many times I turned you down. I always thought you were a bit weird from the start, but you know? I think it's charming. You have this aura, this personality to you that gives off this sense of...I don't even know how to word it to be honest."

"I'm not really all that special, I'm just a normal girl. I don't care how popular we as a group ever get, I doubt that will ever change."

"Are you sure? I think there's something about you that brings people together."

"It's not just me, it's all of us together. I really don't think of myself a leader, am I really capable of being something like that?"

"Honoka didn't think of herself as a leader."

"..."

"Well, whatever the case I won't force you to believe anything." You finished. "Now let's get some rest. It won't help anything if we exhaust ourselves both physically and mentally. Good night you two."

"Night." Replied Riko, adjusting herself before passing out almost immediately. Chika soon reciprocated. You looked at the sleeping face of her dear friend as her consciousness began to fade. Her eyelids began to shut slowly before she inevitably fell asleep with a tiny smile on her face.

* * *

Hanamaru snoozed soundly, lightly breathing with her hair spread out across her pillow. Yoshiko was the exact opposite, spread messily across her bed and snoring lightly. Ruby stood by the window, staring out into the night. The soft glow of moonlight cast onto her, outlining her shadow against the floor glowing blue from the light. Staring up at the moon, she stood almost in a trance. There wasn't a single movement for a long period of time, until finally a smile began to cross her face.

" _When was...the last time I smiled genuinely like this? If I remember correctly, it was back at that beach house with Timothy. It's strange, after all these years of unbreakable bonds how were we able to be separated so easily? It would've been unfathomable just a month or so ago yet...it happened all the same. Everyone else was so on edge, and yet I seem to be the only one calm. Am I doing something wrong again? Am I really that naive or…no. I'm overthinking it aren't I? I used to think of Dia as this model of perfection and knowledge. I felt she knew what to do whenever she needed to do it...but she's the same as me. She believed strongly in what she knew, but even she had her limits in knowing the right course of action...or maybe there were situations where it was impossible to tell. For dealing with Timothy, I wouldn't know what to do in her place. Even if he did put his sexual feelings into me...I remember that morning. The day I last saw him alive. He had this look of regret and despair in his eyes. At the time I didn't know what to think. I couldn't just say that it wasn't a big deal, because it was a genuine issue. But his depression was a genuine issue too. Was there a right path? If Dia or me had acted differently, would he still be alive? Would Dia have never lost her leg? Would anything that had happened in the past month have occured at all? Then again...that's life I guess. It wouldn't be the first time I've lost something dear. It makes me wonder about all the little things in life that have made me who I am. If my mother hadn't passed away, would I have been as close with Dia as I was? If we had saved Uranohoshi, would we have felt that same feeling of irrevertible loss? Life's thrown a lot of sticks and stones at us...but I'm not afraid anymore. It feels like I've finally matured, and I finally know what maturity truly is. It's not some divine knowledge to know everything in every situation, I guess the best way to describe it is...to understand what makes me who I am and to be able to live with it. In a way, Dia's last lesson for me becoming mature was to recognize where couldn't be."_

Ruby slowly wandered back over to her bedside. She crawled back under her sheets and looked over at her two good friends fast asleep. A small smile crept over her face.

" _I'm so glad...we're able to be sisters again…"_


	12. Chapter 12: A Pianist's Lament

Chapter 12: A Pianist's Lament

The curtains shuddered in the light breeze of Riko's home in Uchiura. Despite living with her mother still, she had offered to chip in on the bills. Something about the room had always given her a sense of warmth. But not this night. She stood outside on her balcony, staring at the sea sadly. Behind her the monitor of her laptop gave the room a dim blue glow, filling the room with a mysterious blue glow befitting of a lone glowing screen from a horror movie or the like. This horror movie was all too real to Riko's dismay, leaving her to stare at the bay wordlessly.

" _All that work...everything I did...just gone in a flash? It feels like...I've lost a part of me. Who knew I'd care so much about my-"_

Riko was cut off at the sound of a sliding door opening. Looking over, she saw Chika with a worried look on her face. She must have been watching for quite a while.

"Something wrong? You look really down. Is this about Dia or-"

"No, it's not Dia. We're all just giving her some time to rest...it's just...the thing is…"

"Low morale?"

"No, that's not it."

"Someone got sick?"

"Not that either."

"Indigestion?"

"Chika, would I really be this upset about indigestion!?"

"A-Ah, that's true. Maybe I'm just too tired to think straight."

Riko looked off to the side and slumped into her own arms. It might have been light reflecting on her face, but Chika swore she could see a tear. Looking past Riko, she noticed the interior of her glowing room. Her piano had the keys exposed, the cover for them lifted up as if prepped for a song.

"Riko...were you going to play piano?"

"...not anymore."

"Huh?"

"There's no point anymore. I've already dedicated my life to that of an idol. There's no room for it in my life, no matter how much I liked it."

"W-What!?" Chika said in disbelief, slamming her hands onto the railing. "But why? You were able to manage it just fine until now!"

"Chika, you don't understand! It's not that I don't like piano, I just have no reason to even play anymore! What good will come of it!?"

Chika ran back into her room for a second, grabbing her phone. She had a determined look, a goal in mind forming in her head. She went back to the balcony and started typing away..

"Chika, please don't make a fuss over this. Whatever you're doing there's no point in trying."

"Oh stop it, Riko!" Chika said firmly. "I know people doubt themselves every now and then, but how is it pointless to continue! What about all those adoring fans on your channel?"

"Chika, don't tell me you're-"

"I'm gonna play a song of yours! Listening to your own stuff is sure to spark something! Don't worry Riko, I'll get you right back on track in no time!"

Riko looked off wordlessly. She knew trying to stop Chika would be fruitless. Chika scrolled through her subscriptions as she browsed for Riko's channel. She watched the expression on Chika's face grow increasingly confused, scrolling up and down and up and down as if scrambling to decode some hidden message. Finally, Chika tapped the icon for Riko's channel which took her to an almost blank page.

"This channel...no longer exists?"

"My channel got terminated. I wasn't even given an official reason why. I lost years of work in the blink of an eye, not even given the courtesy of closure. My best bet is a false copyright strike, but the fact that I'll never know…" Riko trailed off as she buried her head in her arm and began to sob. Chika stood up, looking helplessly at her poor friend. There really was nothing she could do, save maybe for encouragement. Even that however seemed hopeless in Riko's current emotional state.

"I'll bring this up tomorrow at the group meeting." Chika offered. "We're all going to discuss what we'll do on hiatus, so perhaps bit of input would be good. Best to make a drastic decision when you're feeling a bit better in the mind after all!"

"It could help to not use "drastic" when describing a hard choice I have to think over, but...I guess I should thank you Chika."

"Heh heh, not a problem. Just doing what any friend would." She said warmly, slowly closing the glass door as she headed off to bed. Riko turned around and looked up at the stars. She gazed up for what seemed like ages, not sure even what she was seeking.

" _I wonder...whether I have anyone up there making sure I'll be fine. You says her dad looks down on her from above, but is there anyone else like that for the rest of us? I know this seems petty compared to what everyone else has dealt with recently...am I really this pathetic? Mr. Watanabe...if you're really up there, can you help this poor fool of a girl come back to reality?"_

* * *

"Just gone like that? Without even giving a reason? What awful people." You said in a mix of astoundment and disgust.

"Please, don't make a huge fuss over it." Riko mumbled. It was still fresh on her mind but the last thing she wanted to talk about was the channel. She'd been looking forward to adding all sorts of songs during the hiatus, but that idea certainly got thrown for a loop.

"I wonder, have any other channels had that happen to them before?" Chika inquired. You pulled out her smartphone and started to type away. It wasn't long before she gave a "hmph" in disapproval.

"Seems like a good number have been taken down." You said with a heavily disapproving tone. "Remind me never to do anything with these jerks ever again."

"So do you think the copyright hunch was right on?" Chika questioned.

"Oh, no doubt. Plenty of people have been taken down for claims like these, especially people who do music. Seems like Riko's channel was a prime target."

"Chika, You, I get you're trying to help but I'd rather not talk about it." Riko said in frustration. "I'm going to have to explain it today at the group meeting regardless, I don't want to explain it twice."

Chika and You nodded, returning the bus to silence save for the quiet rumble of it driving down the vacant streets. You's expression hardened.

" _Riko never sought to play piano with a goal for the future in mind, she would always say it was a way to relax and calm herself."_ You thought questioningly. " _Why did she even make her channel to begin with? If she had no goal, there wouldn't have been nearly a reaction like this. So what is it she hasn't told us? What's Riko's secret goal?"_

* * *

Gathering in the meeting room, the members met to decide what the next few months would have in store. There was a mix of emotions in the room. Hanamaru bore a worried expression while fiddling with a pen in her hand, Yoshiko looked indifferent whilst staring into space and Mari had a bring shiny smile right at the door to welcome them. In fact, right at the door was an understatement. She was more like a few inches from Riko's face.

"Helllooooooo!~" Mari announced right in her ear.

"G-Good morning…" Riko uttered quietly. She gave Mari a look that showed no surprise at all, as if about to sigh at the usual mischief of someone. They took their seats and Mari skipped up towards the front of the room with a smile that everyone knew meant she had a plan.

"Before I begin, where's Ruby?" Mari asked.

"She's busy caring for Dia at home." Hanamaru answered, putting her elbow on the table and resting her head on her hand. "She's going to be busy for the next couple months I'd bet, zura."

"Oh but of course! I was just testing to make sure you all knew!"

"You could more easily just admit you didn't know, zura."

"Anyway, with our hiatus in effect we now have 3 months or so to really get done what we wish! I'd suggest you make use of it how you wish, but if you have any ideas feel free to share them!"

In the back of the room, Karla raised her hand. There were bags under her eyes indicating she hadn't been sleeping well. Riko assumed it was a direct result of the stress getting to her.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news and address the elephant in the room, but how are we going to break to the public what happened with Dia? Dia's fans will be heartbroken no doubt, not to mention we need to rework any songs that used 9 spots for her absence. In fact, we haven't heard Dia's opinion on this at all. Have you bothered to ask her at all?"

"N-No, I'm afraid I haven't-"

"Then we have a big problem on our hands. Mari, you need to get in touch with the Kurosawas as soon as possible. We can't even think about moving forward until we come to a general consensus for how to take action. No matter what it won't be a perfect answer, but I guess that's just how we're going to have to do it."

" _Y-Yeah, it's definitely stress."_ Riko thought with a gloomy look. " _I guess I'm not the only one."_

"So what do we do exactly?" Kanan asked, clearly not fond of the demandingness in Karla's tone. "Do you suggest we wait for Dia to recover a bit more mentally or do we just go in and ask her off the bat?"

"Tell Ruby to keep in touch with me and tell Dia about the idea. I'm sure Dia will make a decision when she feels a bit better. Everyone else, you can go do whatever you want but try not to let it preoccupy yourselves too much. We may need you at a moment's notice were something to come up."

With that, Karla started to head out.

"W-Where are you going? We just started!"

"Kanan, what else would we even talk about? If you disagree with what I'm saying then go ahead and say so." Karla said, exchanging a firm gaze with Kanan. Kanan tightened her fists but she didn't say anything. As much as she hated to admit it, Karla's plan was probably for the best. Karla gave a "hmph" before walking out of the room and heading home. Kanan folded her arms and sighed.

"Come on, now's not the time to make things worse." You chimed in to help cool the situation. "Karla's only acting that way out of stress, she doesn't mean anything by it. I think what's best is we stick to the plan and meet back here when everything is settled on what we do about Dia's situation. Sound good?"

Everyone nodded or did some similar action to indicate they were on board. As You was about to leave, she glanced at Riko and remembered just in time.

"Wait, wait, I want to say one more thing. Riko's channel got shut down last night and she's-"

"You, I really don't want to talk about this right now." Riko asserted, grabbing You's shoulder. "I get why you want to do this but...please, if you want to help can we just text later on today? I'd rather not talk about it in front of the entire group."

"B-But-"

"I think you should respect Riko's wishes." Yoshiko chimed in. "If she wants to talk to just you about it, it must be personal or at the very least something she doesn't wanna say aloud. Trust me, I know that feeling all too well."

You paused for a moment, eventually giving in with a sigh. She nodded to Riko and followed her and Chika out of the room.

"Alright, I'll trust your judgement Yoshiko."

"Yohane."

* * *

Laying on her bed, Riko stared at her phone with a blank expression. For some reason she was dreading the conversation with You. Even she didn't know why.

" _I've had plenty of difficult talks via phone call or text before, why is it so difficult this time? Have I changed for the worse? All this time I thought I was getting better and better...am I really just regressing?"_

Her thoughts swirled, staring into space. This situation felt all too familiar to what happened with Yoshiko some odd months back, the big difference being that there was nobody's life was put in danger of course.

" _I told myself I wouldn't close myself off and stop shutting out my friends when they wanted to help. Even if it was just a small group of us, why am I shutting everyone out again? Stupid Riko…"_

Riko felt her eyes begin to water, but she wiped them away before she could begin to cry. She plopped back down with a sigh on her bed, putting a hand over her eyes and groaning in frustration. Just then, there was a knock on her bedroom door. She sat up and answered back.

"It's open mom! You can come in!"

To her surprise, it wasn't her mom that entered but You. She gave a little salute and a wide grin as she entered.

"Don't worry, You Watanabe is here! Yousoro!"

"Y-You!? I thought you were going to text me!"

"I was, but I decided to just talk it over in person." She said in a friendly tone as she took a seat beside Riko on the bed. Her look then hardened with worry. "What you're saying doesn't make sense. The Riko I knew would never quit piano because of something like this."

"You mean because...of my channel?"

"Channel or not, you never did piano to reach any goal. I remember in your own words telling me that piano was a way of relaxation you used to calm your nerves. There's something more to this that you haven't told me isn't there?"

"..."

"Riko!"

"...I...I used to think that way. But ever since Aqours became a thing I noticed myself drifting away from piano. On my channel and in my music, it was just me making a push for myself. Even though I love Aqours to death and would choose it over anything else, those efforts aren't just...me. I grow with the group, but I don't grow as an individual. Heck, I might even be getting worse from how I'm acting."

"If you wanted to do something for yourself, then why quit piano? That doesn't make any sense!"

"Because I don't have any way to put it to any use!" Riko yelled, choking up. "What's the point of it if I never get to do anything with it!? I just...I just…"

Riko grabbed her pillow and shoved her face in it. You sighed as Riko's muffled whines came through the pillow. You shifted closer and rubbed her hand on her back.

"Just relax, we'll figure something out."

"Mmph."

"Stressing yourself over it and sitting here crying isn't going to fix anything. I get you're upset, and that's fine, but once you feel better make use of what free time we have now to sort things out. In fact, come talk to me tomorrow at my house. I've got something you might want to look into."

"L-Like…*sniffle*...like what?"

"It's a s-e-c-r-e-t! I guess you'll have to just wait and see!"

"Come on You, if you want me to feel better then at least tell me how you're gonna help me!"

"I'll just say that if I told you now it would ruin the surprise. With that said, I really need to get back now."

"W-What? But you just got here!"

"Sorry, it's about the surprise. My lips are sealed!~"

"Jeez You, you meanie." Riko said, smiling a bit. As You started leaving the room, she took a step back in to say something last minute.

"By the way, expect to be busy for most of tomorrow. It's not going to be a short surprise I assure you!"

"A-All day!? And you're not even gonna tell me what it is!? Just where am I going and how much is my bail?"

* * *

Equipped with only a purse and a single pair of clothes, Riko found herself ready to take on whatever captain Yousoro's secret would be. They left almost immediately after Riko's arrival at You's house, driving by car to who knows where. Riko drummed her fingers on her purse and looked around nervously.

"You're not going to tell me where I'm going, now are you?"

"Geez Riko, you really need to enjoy surprises more. You're looking stiff as a brick over there."

"I'm just not fond of driving into the middle of nowhere without a clue what I'm doing is all! Are we doing some super long hike along a mountain or something?"

"Riko, we're on city streets. If we wanted to go to the mountains we would've taken a completely different route! Where in the world do you think I'm taking us anyway?"

"That's what I'd like to know! Sorry, maybe I was a little too on edge."

"Riko, don't worry. I'm doing this as a good surprise. I wouldn't take you anywhere bad."

"Phew, I feel a little bit better now. Guess I didn't need to bring that swiss army knife after all…"

"You brought a what!?"

"O-Oh, nothing! Nothing to worry about!"

Eventually the duo came upon a town near the edge of a fancier neighborhood. You was driving slowly and looking around at the various homes and buildings for their destination. Finally, she drove into a decently sized lot outside a big light orange building. Most of the exterior was decorated in an assortment of light yellow and other light but warm colors. Once Riko stepped out her eyes widened.

"Wait a minute, I know this place! This is Mrs. Trella's Music Academy! How in the world did you-"

"It was a long talk, but I managed to get lessons for you here for the next 2 months or so...if you decide to stay that is. You can cancel any time."

"Oh, I'm fully aware! This is one of the best received music schools in Japan, top 3 for sure! I hear they even hand-pick a tutor based on your background and wishes as a musician! You I'm so sorry for nagging you about this, this is more than I could ask for!" Riko said enthusiastically, getting a bit too close to You for her comfort unintentionally.

"Y-You're welcome…"

Riko suddenly sighed.

" _Oh, right. She's still not sure what she's getting out of piano anymore."_ You thought. " _Don't you worry, if anyone can reignite that spark of interest it's this place! I spent good money to let you get the lessons you need...a little more that I wanted to pay in the first place to be honest."_

She gave Riko a pat on the back and started to hop back in her car. Riko whirled around in surprise.

"W-Wait! Where are you going!?"

"I'll pick you up once you lessons are over. They're already waiting for you so head on in. Well, good luck!" You said, starting the engine back up and taking off before Riko could protest. She sighed as she watched the little car drive off down the road.

"She could've at least walked me to the door." Riko grumbled as she made her way to the big front door. As she walked in, she was greeted by a strange figure. It was a young lady with a machine attached to her neck. She touched it and it spoke for her.

" _WELCOME TO MRS. TRELLA'S ACADEMY FOR MUSICAL ARTS. ARE YOU RIKO SAKURAUCHI?"_

"Y-Yes, I am. How do you know my name?"

" _ITS CONSIDERED A COURTESY FOR ME TO LEARN YOUR NAME AHEAD OF TIME. YOUR TEACHER IS RIGHT THIS WAY, PLEASE FOLLOW ME."_

"Alright, if you say so...and by the way, you're not a robot are you?"

" _I CANT SPEAK NORMALLY, SO I USE THIS DEVICE TO COMMUNICATE. I'D...PREFER YOU NOT TO CALL ME A ROBOT."_

"Sorry, sorry, I just...that was insensitive of me."

" _NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO ASK, UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME."_ She added. The hint of bitterness was still there hidden in the monotone voice of her speech synthesizer. After a short walk down a hall, she came to a room with two giant brown wooden doors. Faint piano music could be heard inside.

" _YOUR TEACHER SEEMS TO BE WARMING UP, BUT DON'T WORRY. YOU CAN WALK RIGHT IN."_

"Thank you, uh...what's your name?"

" _LISA. LISA CONA."_

" _What the heck kind of name is Lisa Cona?"_ Riko thought to herself. " _Sounds like something you would make up as a joke character in a grade school play."_

" _I WILL SEE YOU IN THE LOBBY LATER ON AFTER YOUR CLASS. HAVE A GOOD DAY."_

"Thanks Lisa, you too!" She called as the girl walked back towards the main hall. Turning towards the door, she paused to take a deep breath.

" _My professor is personally selected for me...just who are they I wonder. I guess I'll find out now…"_

She pushed open the doors, her ears flooded with the sound of musical harmony. A woman sat at the piano near the opposite wall, her fingers dancing along the keys. If she had guessed, the song they were playing was an actual performance as oppose to just a warm-up. She was on another level. She closed the doors and admired the teacher as they slowly ended the song and gracefully slid their hands off the keys. Looking up at Riko, she jumped a bit in her seat.

"Whoa...that was supposed to be a warm-up? That was...amazing!"

"It's really not a huge deal." She countered, turning her head away. She was hiding a blush.

"W-Well, my name's Riko Sakurauchi...I know you were specially chosen for me, right?"

"Seems like you know the ins and outs of this place. Yes, I was specially chosen."

"It's just...with the result of a lot of factors, I haven't had the same passion or drive for piano I used to...I just-"

"Don't know what the point of it is? You told me everything in her report. She's looking out for you, so I certainly hope you're willing to make an effort."

"Y-Yes Ma'am! I am ready!"

"Well good. By the way, I'm sure you'd like to know a bit about why I got chosen for you. Tell me, you're from that idol band called Aqours right?"

"Yeah, I am. So what about Aqours impacted the choice?"

"Actually, I chose you myself."

"Y-You...did? Whatever for?"

"You see, since you're an idol with a love of piano, I couldn't help but relate a bit."

"Relate a bit? What, you're saying you were an idol?"

The woman gave her a smile that gave off an aura of maturity. Riko's eyes widened as she started to piece things together.

"An idol...who plays piano? Wait, don't tell me you're...you're…"

"My name is Maki Nishikino. I'll be your piano instructor during your time here."


	13. Chapter 13: μ's

Chapter 13: μ's

Riko winced as Dia screamed down the receiver in a mix of astoundment and jealousy. She held her phone perpendicular to her face so she could speak without her ears blown out, a look on her face that yelled "I knew it".

" **THE MAKI NISHIKINO IS TEACHING YOU PIANO PERSONALLY!? YOU HAD BETTER STAY AND ABSORB EVERYTHING THAT CLASS HAS TO OFFER AND EVERY WORD SHE SAYS DO YOU HEAR ME!?"**

"Y-Yes Dia, I'm will." She said half sighing. " _I knew she'd freak when she heard who my instructor was."_

"I'm so jealous Riko...if I could be taught by the legendary Eli Ayase... **AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!** "

"Dia, I understand how you feel but calm yourself! You might disturb your neighbors if you keep this up!"

"R-Right, sorry. I just...I'm so jealous Riko…"

"You just said that."

"It bears repeating! This is THE Maki Nishikino, the pianist who helped μ's get off the ground in the first place! Arguably, if it weren't for her then they may never have grown and won Love Live! I can't imagine the tragic world where that would've happened…"

Riko was about to add something when she heard some background noise. She could vaguely make out Ruby's voice but it was a bit hard to hear. Riko put the receiver up to her ear to get a better listen. Big mistake.

" **PIGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! M-M-MAKI NISHIKINO IS TEACHING YOUR CLASSES!?"**

"My ears!" Riko shouted back.

"Eheheh...sorry. I just can't contain my excitement! It's not everyday you get a chance like this!"

"Yeah. If anyone can restore my faith, I'd bet my money on her."

"And don't forget to get her autograph!" She added. Riko could imagine Ruby's smiling face brimming with delight on the other end of the phone, hands together near her chin. It gave her a smile of her own too.

"Sure, and I'll get one for Dia as well."

Ruby skipped out of the room, handing the receiver back to Dia. After Ruby left, Dia continued with a much calmer voice.

"I take it you want me to tell you something?"

"Well I...I want to know a bit more about Mrs. Nishikino. You're the person who I felt would be able to tell me the most about it, and I can get a verbal check-up on how you're doing."

"It's a slow process, but Ruby's managing just fine by herself. Knowing that our sisterly relations aren't strained anymore must've really lifted a weight from her back. She's grown a lot these past months, don't you think?"

"You're talking a lot more about Ruby than your own recovery." Riko mused.

"Perhaps I am. I guess I can't help but be an acting mother can I?"

"From where you're standing right now, I'd say she's playing mother for once now isn't she?"

"Haha, I guess so. Oh, I almost forgot to talk about Maki!"

"She's pretty wealthy, right?"

"The Nishikino Family owns a hospital, and she had a large push to inherit the business. Lucky for her, she was given some leeway from her parents to also take up a part-time job at Mrs. Trella's Music Academy."

"I guess they only wanted her attending the best."

"Her parents put a lot of weight on Maki's shoulders. Just a fair warning, I'd suggest against probing too deep about that. She takes her life's roles very seriously."

"What about μ's? I bet she expects me to bring it up eventually."

"I'm sure it will be fine. As long as it's not too personal I'm sure she'll be happy to share."

"Alright, is that it?"

"Her favorite food is tomatoes. If you want to go eat with her, I'd suggest somewhere where she can get some."

"Y-You mean, like the two of us? Just us?"

"Who else would be there?"

"I dunno, but like...she has this powerful aura about her."

"That's Maki for you. She likes to give off a strong demeanor, even if she is introverted."

"Maki's an introvert? Really? I never would've guessed."

"Being shy and being an introvert aren't the same thing Riko, there's just only so much attention she can take before feeling drained. That's why I say not to probe her."

"I see. Thank you Dia, I'll keep that in mind for tomorrow. Hope you feel better!"

"I'm healing a wound, not getting over a cold! I guess it doesn't matter, thank you anyway."

Riko said her goodbye and ended the call. She placed her phone on her desk and stared out the window that was now illuminated with the blinding glow of sunset expressionlessly.

" _Maki Nishikino...I can't help but wonder more about you…"_

* * *

Riko sighed as she took her fingers off the keys, having finished a practice song for Maki's assessment. Maki was giving her a hard stare as if deep in thought.

"So...how was it?"

"There's too much stiffness to your body. You were tensing up your shoulders just now, not to mention staring down at the piano like you were desperate not to make a mistake."

"I see...so I have been getting worse, huh?"

"The problem here isn't you abilities, it's your motivation." Maki asserted, placing her hand firmly on Riko's shoulder. "If you're going to play piano, don't do it to try impressing me! If you don't want to play piano, you won't be able to play it. I know how well you can play."

"You've seen me play before?"

"I saw a performance of yours on the internet once. You seemed so much more content and relaxed in them, nothing like that rigid playing you did just now."

"Did you think I was any good?"

"W-Well, I guess it was a pretty decent performance."

"Decent? I thought you said a second ago you know how well I play from those performances."

"Well I...I...why did you even ask in the first place? If this is a joke I don't get it!" Maki retorted, avoiding eye contact and blushing like a tomato. Riko couldn't help but giggle.

"By the way, speaking of performances, my fellow band members Dia and Ruby are both huge fans of μ's! They even asked if you could give them autographs!"

"You don't need to make a big deal over it." She said, her face relaxing as her memories began to flow back to her. She even started to smile faintly. "It was a huge part of my life sure, but I still have the rest of my life to live. Besides, it's not like μ's could ever be together again."

"We thought the same about Aqours, but look at us! We're all together again like old times!"

"No, you don't understand, it's physically impossible."

"What do you mean it's impossible? All you need is a bit of convincing and I'm sure you have at least a cha-"

"You don't know about what happened, do you?" Maki cut off, staring down with a pained expression at the piano keys.

"What do you mean? Did something happen?"

"I...don't want to talk about it. μ's is no more, ok? Just leave it at that and drop it!"

Riko could hear the grief in her tone loud and clear. Maki sighed and looked up to see Riko's worried expression.

"W-What? Stop giving me that look! Let's just get back to practicing, ok?"

Riko paused a moment before nodding, placing her fingers back on the keys. She sighed and began to stiffly return to her lesson.

* * *

As soon as Riko got home, she popped open her laptop and began to search around. She half considered calling Dia, but she didn't want to wake her up if she was resting.

" _Ok, first I'll try Honoka...let's see, there's her business...that's info on her date of birth and current age...an old article about μ's...Ok, there's nothing here on her."_

She tried Kotori next, finding little else of use or relevance. Everything seemed just fine with the ex-members of μ's.

" _Kotori Minami wins award at fashion show for new top quality design, huh? I'm kind of curious what it looks like...oh wow look at those feathers! Leave it to Kotori to make a bird-based design choice and get an award for it. Reminds me of one of those Brazilian dancers at a festival or whatever, I wonder if that was an inspiration. But still, nothing exactly impossible. Maki was probably exaggerating."_

Riko sat for a moment, remembering the pained look on her face. Something didn't sit right with her.

" _Ok, one more try and then I'm asking Dia. Hopefully Umi can give me a bit of a clue."_ She pondered, typing "Umi Sonoda" into the search engine. Looking at the page, she saw a simple bio and a few stories about μ's.

" _Yeah, there's nothing. I should go call Dia and ask her inste-"_

Then she froze. As she was getting up, she noticed something on the bio that made her sit back down and give a hard look to make sure her eyes weren't playing some crazy trick on her.

" _Her bio...why does...why does it have a date of death?"_

In a frenzy, she typed "death" after the existing name in the search bar. The top result was a news article titled "Beloved Idol Umi Sonoda Dead At Age 18".

" _Dead at...18!? That's terrible…how did she…"_

She clicked open the article to see a picture of Umi onstage for one of her big performances back in the day. Upon scrolling down the page she read to herself the top of the article.

"Yesterday on August 27th, a beloved ex-idol of the popular school idol band μ's by the name of Umi Sonoda was murdered in her own home by an unknown assailant. A bloody knife and a pool of blood was found in the center of her room, although her body was not recovered. Based on traces of blood, it's likely the body was tossed out the window to be disposed of. The police are still investigating, but unfortunately no conclusive evidence has been found thus far. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, her fans, and with her close friends."

Riko stood up, almost falling out of her chair. She was visibly shaking from the shock. In a flash, she picked up her phone and dialed Dia as fast as she could. She sat down on her bed, staring in a trance at nothing in particular. She waited a few moments as she heard the buzzing on the other end. After about 3 rings she picked up.

"Hey Riko, what's up?" Dia mumbled sleepily. Realizing she had been sleeping, Riko started to feel a pang of guilt.

"S-Sorry I didn't mean to wake you!" She blurted out.

"It's fine Riko, but are you fine? You're panting like nuts."

"That's cause...well...you know about what happened, right?"

"Don't tell me you got yourself on bad terms with Maki." Dia probed, a hint of worry in her tone.

"No, no, me and Maki are fine! I just found out about...Umi."

There was a silence on the other end. Riko could hardly breathe, the whole room feeling incredibly tense.

"...I'm guessing you know what happened to her, that she was…"

"...killed. Yeah."

More eerie silence.

"Listen Riko. Whatever you do, don't bring this up with Maki. EVER. She's feeling right now how you all would've felt if I hadn't survived that shooting. Pain like that...never really goes away."

"I understand." She mumbled quietly before sighing heavily. "I just wish there was something I could do. I want to help her, but I don't know how I can!"

"Riko, this isn't your problem to take care of. Being sympathetic and taking on a job you can't accomplish are two entirely different cans of worms. I get you want to help, but sometimes there's just some things that can't be helped. It's best you stay out of this."

Riko paused a moment, staring down at her lap and furrowing her brow. She then picked up the receiver and cleared her throat.

"Dia, I'm sorry but I have to reject your advice." She stated confidently

"Riko." Dia cautioned. "This is a bad idea. I know there's nothing I can do to stop you, but I will at least give you a firm warning. If you mess things up, you could potentially ruin this once in a lifetime experience. In fact, has Maki even given you permission to try helping her?"

"W-Well, no but-"

"Then she'll probably turn you down. Maki's not the type to rely on others, especially for something this personal. If you're going to try something, if Maki tells you to stop then you have to stop no matter what. Do you understand?"

"Yes...Yes I do."

"Good. Now don't get me wrong, this is a big buu buu desu wa in my book. I'm really not happy about the thought of you getting involved in a murder case, but I know there's nothing I can do to stop you."

"I understand...I'll keep your advice in mind."

Dia sighed and gave a goodbye before going back to sleep. Riko placed the phone in her lap and watched the text saying " _CALL ENDED"_ on the tiny monitor stay on for a moment before disappearing. Riko rubbed her eyes before falling backwards onto her bed.

" _I know I have to do this...No matter what I do I can't get the image of her pained expression out of my mind. I can't concentrate on anything, let alone piano. I need to get this grief out of my head, even if it's just a little...just enough to make her smile…"_

* * *

" _THAT'S QUITE A FIERCE LOOK YOU HAVE."_ Lisa commented with a somewhat uncomfortable look as she led Riko to the usual lesson room.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it." Riko replied quickly, her look barely changing at all.

" _DID SOMETHING HAPPEN THE OTHER DAY OR WHATEVER?"_

"Nothing you should be concerned over, it's fine."

Lisa gave Riko a bit more distance between them, Riko too focused to pay Lisa any mind. As they reached the room, Lisa moved towards the door to open it for Riko. With a heavy sigh, Riko prepared herself mentally and burst into the room. Maki looked up from her piano with a puzzled gaze as Riko marched over to her. With an awkward smile, Lisa closed the door slowly to leave the two of them to their own devices. At the sound of the door shutting, Maki proceeded to fold her left leg over the other. She fiddled with her hair and gave Riko a questioning stare.

"What's with that attitude? I don't remember doing anything that could've offended."

"Maki, I've decided I'm going to help you!"

Maki's eyes widened with a baffled look on her face.

"Help...me? Help me with what?"

"Well I...I happened to do a bit of research last night because of what you said. About how it would be impossible to-"

"Stop." Maki said aggressively, standing up and giving Riko a hardened look. "I can already see where this is going, and the answer is no."

"But-"

"This is my business and my business alone! If anyone's going to find her killer it's me!"

"Maki…" Riko began.

"If you only just found out about this incident yesterday, what makes you think you'd be able to help in the first place? I've been searching for answers for ages, and I've hardly got a lead at all! What makes you think that you'd be able to help, even if I said yes? Do you even have a plan?"

"No, but-"

"Then drop it." she said angrily. Riko stood there for a second hoping to retaliate, but she knew Maki was right. She sighed and twiddled her fingers, looking down at her feet sadly.

"S-Sorry…"

"I get you want to help and all, but this really isn't something you're capable of. Now let's get to the lesson shall we?"

Riko nodded slowly. She took a seat down at the piano, putting her hands out to start to play. That's when she noticed her hands were trembling. Maki took one look at her and exhaled in frustration.

"Ok, this is a waste of time. If your mental state is this shaken, the only way we're gonna get you back on your feet is to fix it."

"But how? I don't even know what's changed about me...where do I even start?"

"If this whole murder case is really having such a heavy impact on you, I guess it wouldn't hurt to let you have a go at it."

"R-Really? You were so firmly against my joining just a moment ago!"

"It's an extra pair of eyes, it's the least I can ask for. Besides, if helping me gets you closer to fixing your motivation problems then that means I've done my job. I'll drive you back to my place after this lesson, there's a personal collection I have on the case that I'm keeping secret until I find the killer; perhaps you could give me a bit of insight."

"I-I'll try my best." Riko stammered enthusiastically. In the midst of the conversation, neither of them noticed the eye peering through the small slit in the door, hearing in on the supposedly secret exchange. Riko glanced at the door just too late to miss the eye vanish.

"Something up, Riko?"

"No, it's nothing. Let's get to work."

* * *

"Pardon the intrusion." Riko said instinctively as she headed inside the Nishikino's family home. It was more like a mansion then a house, but Riko decided it was best to keep her mouth shut. She followed Maki upstairs to a seemingly normal room, or seemingly normal for someone of Maki's standards anyway. She expected to see a huge TV with some surround sound gadgets and whatever else, but to her surprise the room was fairly small and reminded her more of her own versus Mari's.

"Cute room you have here."

"It's not all that impressive." Maki shrugged off.

" _Compared to Mari, yeah."_ Riko added mentally. As Maki came to her bedside, she got on her knees and started to reach underneath. Riko walked around her, tilting her head curiously.

"I keep this under wraps from just about everyone. Whoever is responsible clearly wasn't your average criminal, so I'd like to stay off the radar in case they decided to make me their next target."

"But...why did you tell me? Surely you're at least somewhat suspicious of me."

"Whatever for?"

"Well I mean, I have been rather adamant about helping you out when it's none of my business."

"That would be a fair point if it was even possible for you to have committed the murder."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I've been looking into the footage and circumstances of the murder. It turns out that one of the security cameras was shut down, most likely to allow them to escape undetected. But what's even stranger is that it wasn't hacked. It was just shut off manually. For that to happen, someone had to shut off the cameras during the day when they're not in surveillance."

"So you're saying it was an inside job?"

"Precisely. The fact that the murder took place in the evening only furthers the evidence supporting this idea."

"Wouldn't they notice if the camera was out?"

"Before I continue, can I actually get out from under here? We can't exactly look over the documents if we can't even open the case."

Maki began to shuffle her way back out, Riko stepping back to give her space. Once Maki had gotten out, she stood up with a small metal combination case in hand.

"What's with that strange look?" Maki asked, placing the case on her bed.

"Oh, nothing." Riko evaded, holding her hands up slightly.

" _I actually saw her panties."_ Riko admitted internally, praying she wasn't blushing. Maki opened the case to reveal a simple manilla folder much to Riko's surprise.

"It's not much, but it's better than nothing." Maki explained despite her voice clearly showing her dissatisfaction. "Mostly a few double checked alibis and photos taken."

"The article online said her body was never found. Any leads on that?"

"Not one. It scares me to think what they might've done to her lifeless body...those monsters."

"Are you saying the motive was...her body?"

"Either for their own disgusting desires or more likely for organ harvesting on the black market. She was always healthy and active, well known to boot. She lives near a wooded area so it makes pulling off the crime certainly much easier."

"You said it was an inside job, how many people have you debunked?"

"That's...why I'm stuck."

"What do you mean?"

"I've checked everyone. Every family member, every member of security, there isn't a single person who doesn't have an alibi! I even double checked, triple checked some!"

"But how did it even take place then?"

"You tell me!"

Maki stared down sadly at her small pile of info, eventually letting out a heavy sigh and flopping her head into her mattress.

"You have a look. I know everything by heart at this point."

Riko nodded and began to examine things piece by piece. One that caught her eyes was a list with dates listed alongside names, arrival and departure times. It seemed to be a guest book.

"That's for keeping track of visitors. Since her family runs a dojo, they keep track of appointments while also confirming in person they actually showed. The info I have here is from the official police report."

"How in the world did you get that kind of intel?" Riko queried in astoundment.

"Let's call it...connections." Maki explained loosely.

" _Shady, but none of my business."_ Riko decided internally. " _It's best I have a good look at this evidence."_

As she sorted through photograph after photograph and name after name, her look grew progressively more baffled with each piece of leadless info. As she was observing the photographs, she noticed a number on the back written in tiny print.

"Hey Maki, what's this?"

"It's a number that links it to a specific camera. I've checked every number already, and they all link up with a camera on site. The day of the murder there wasn't a single person not accounted for with the footage, photos, etcetera."

Riko nodded and decided to run the numbers with the list. Sure enough, everything lined up perfectly. Holding the 13th camera photo, she puzzled while giving it a hard stare.

"Something up with that photo?" Maki inquired.

"No, it's rather that it seems...too perfect."

"If you mean forged evidence, that's my best bet. Unfortunately, as you can imagine I've drawn a blank thus far."

Riko ran her mind over everything she could think for even the slightest contradiction, but after a little while she just dropped the photos back into the case with a hopeless expression on her face. Maki knew from the expression that Riko had nothing. She patted Riko on the shoulder with a sigh.

"You did your best, that's what matters. Please, don't let this weigh so hard on you. I'm not your responsibility. If there's a truth, it will unveil itself in time."

Riko nodded slowly as her eyes began to water.


	14. Chapter 14: Lurking Shadows

Chapter 14: Lurking Shadows

A lone figure stood in a dark room, dimly illuminated by moonlight through a drawn curtain. Sleep would not come, not with all the worry weighing down on them. Sitting up, they held their left hand against their wrist, feeling their own pulse.

" _My blood is pumping...it feels like I'm the star of a horror movie with some horrific inhuman abomination around the corner. A horror movie of my own making…"_

Remembering the overheard conversation from earlier, they gripped their wrist even harder and exhaled laboriously.

" _Riko Sakurauchi...why did she have to get involved too? Keeping an eye on Maki is troublesome enough as is, the more heads the more likely someone is to discover the truth. I have to keep my guard up. Then again, when hasn't my guard been up since then? All because...gah! Damn you, Lisa Cona…"_

* * *

As the front door of the school opened, Riko was surprised to see Lisa standing by the reception. She gave Riko a respectful bow in greeting.

" _GOOD MORNING MRS. SAKURAUCHI. I'M AFRAID YOUR TEACHER IS NOT IN YET, SO PLEASE HAVE A SEAT UNTIL SHE ARRIVES."_

"Maki is late? That's odd, she doesn't seem the type to miss appointments, let alone her job."

" _I'VE NEVER SEEN HER LATE EITHER AS FAR AS I CAN REMEMBER."_ Lisa's computer expressed emotionlessly. Lisa's body language however gave away genuine confusion, reminding Riko of some sort of symbiotic relationship. The communicator gave her words, her body gave her emotion.

" _She must have been pretty impressive to make it to a music school like this."_ Riko pondered, unintentionally staring wide eyed at Lisa while lost in thought.

" _UM...CAN I HELP YOU?"_ Lisa nervously responded, looking uncomfortable. Riko seemed to have a good knack for unintentionally making Lisa nervous.

"Huh? Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to stare. I was just wondering about something."

" _WAS THAT SOMETHING...ABOUT ME PERCHANCE?"_

"Well...kinda. It's nothing important though."

" _I REALLY DON'T MIND HEARING WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND. IT KILLS TIME."_

"Well...I thought it would be rude to ask, but I was a bit curious how you came to the studio to begin with. Have you always liked music?"

Lisa nodded, but somehow she seemed uneasy. Riko noticed her eyes dart to the door for a brief moment as if remembering something subconsciously.

" _I DON'T SING FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, BUT I DO ENJOY WRITING SONGS. PEOPLE TELL ME I HAVE A TALENT, BUT I REALLY DON'T THINK MUCH OF IT. I JUST DO MY OWN THING BECAUSE I WANT TO."_

"I've heard that the best musicians are the ones that are the most passionate about their creations. As an idol, I can definitely attest to that."

" _SO WHAT'S STOPPING YOU FROM PLAYING PIANO?"_

Riko sat with arms folded, unsure of it herself. Her pondering was short lived however as they were interrupted by the sound of the door as Maki rushed in.

"Sorry I'm late, I got caught up in something this morning." Maki panted, winded from dashing from her car. "Hopefully I didn't make you wait too long."

"It's fine, I really haven't been waiting long. Lisa was also here to keep me company."

" _GLAD TO BE OF ASSISTANCE."_

Maki gestured to Riko, guiding her to the room wordlessly as she straightened out her appearance. She wasted no time in pulling a small comb from her bag and brushing down the frizzled hair, managing the whole operation within the 15 seconds between walking from the reception desk and the piano room. A lot faster than the half awake clumsy Chika that Riko was used to. Upon Riko's entry, Maki scanned both hallways suspiciously before slowly closing the door. She walked briskly over to the piano, ignoring Riko's baffled reaction and taking a seat with folded arms and closed eyes. Her expression seemed indicate she was mulling over something, so much so that Riko began to shift around uncomfortably.

"I-Is something the matter?" Riko stammered. "You're acting a bit strange-"

"Riko." Maki interrupted, her tone bearing not the slightest bit of humor. "I need to tell you something, but you have to promise not to tell anyone. Nobody can hear this, or the both of our lives may very well be in danger."

"W-What!? Are you saying-"

"I wouldn't call it a lead, but I had an epiphany last night. If everything on the scene lined up perfectly without any witnesses, suspects without an alibi or incriminating evidence, there's only one explanation."

"But...we both looked through that info and didn't find a thing! Did you finally find-"

"No, that mess is nothing more than a distraction."

"...Come again?"

"I've kept my focus to the incident's location because of the closed door murder, but I completely left open an avenue I haven't explored yet. Simply put, someone's probably watching us."

"Why do you suspect that?"

"I was the most involved member of μ's with the case, Umi aside of course. The probability of someone keeping a close eye on me is extremely high, which means that we have a search location."

"So you're saying...the killer is in this very building?"

Maki nodded firmly, maintaining her cold stare. "I was up late last night doing a thorough research. Once I thought about it, the most obvious suspect is right in front of us. You've even met her."

Riko didn't even need the time to think as her eyes widened. It seemed so simple but she didn't want to believe it.

"No way...you don't mean the culprit is…"

"Tell me. When have you ever heard a name like Lisa Cona before?"

"No, but...when she talked it felt so genuine."

"It's genuinity is as good as her name." Maki scowled. "I was digging up some info on her last night, or trying to at least. I spent hours searching for some clue, some evidence, but found nothing about her. She has to be the killer, no doubt about it."

"But can't we just call the police and arrest her?"

"We have no evidence to convict her! On top of this, there was no way she could've entered without detection which gives her a perfect alibi! All that would do is put us in grave danger!"

"So what are we supposed to do? If she stays at large we remain in danger, and if we arrest her we're in even bigger danger! It's a lose lose scenario!"

"I have an idea, but I need you to do something for me for this to work."

"Sure, whatever it is you need?"

Maki stood up and led Riko over to the nearby table, coated with a nice mahogany finish and topped with a soft white cloth. Maki usually left her bag there during practice, but she had it by her side having only just rushed in. Placing the bag down with a heavy thunk, Maki proceeded to open a different pocket than the one her comb was in earlier.

"The plan is simple." Maki began, carefully sifting through her stuff. "In a few days we're having a meeting for budgeting and such. Lisa will be away from her room, which means you'll sneak into her room during the meeting and search it for some evidence or clues. The meeting should last about a half hour so you should have plenty of time."

Riko walked over and began to peer over Maki's shoulder in curiosity. She almost shrieked as Maki pulled out a kitchen knife, placing it softly down on the table.

"Take it. You may need it if someone gets wind of our little plan."

"You want me to carry a knife around, are you crazy!? What does this have to do with the plan anyway!?"

"Hey, not so loud!" Maki hushed. "Keep it on hand in case of an emergency. If you find the enemy, they'll most likely be armed."

"Can't you just hold onto it until I actually have to do something dangerous? I really don't want to be carrying around a weapon in broad daylight!"

"Fine, fine, but remember: this Friday make sure to meet me at my car in the nearby lot. Drive yourself there and I'll come pick you up. We don't want anyone getting suspicious why a car of none of the employees would be there after business hours."

Riko nodded, feeling an oncoming sense of dread.

" _I wanted to help but...this is getting out of hand! This is something I really shouldn't be doing, but I can't help but want to pitch in! Is this even about piano anymore!? Gods, what if I'm getting in over my head? I should've listened to Dia, this was an awful idea…"_

* * *

The sound of a doorbell echoed through the silent room. A lone figure stood against the wall with bated breath, almost like a deer scanning dense greenery for the source of a snapped twig. With grit teeth, they looked at the shadow of two people standing outside the door. Turning an ear, they listened carefully to the sound of a conversation, pulling back momentarily at the sound of a knock.

"Heeeey! Anyone home? It's your neighbor...I brought you a little something!"

"I keep telling you, she never talks to anyone. Even Hannah couldn't convince her to join us, she just ran off at light speed!"

"Well maybe she's shy. Hannah is a bit too much of an extravert at times, she probably scared the poor girl half to death!"

Another two knocks came.

"Don't worry, I won't force you to do anything! I just wanted to give you some food as a housewarming gift! I hope you like curry!"

" _Damn it...I guess I shouldn't turn down free food. I can hardly go anywhere other than small convenience stores out of fear for my life...I wonder if it's worth the risk."_

Quickly they darted to their bathroom, flicking on the lights and popping open the medicine cabinet with the broken mirror. Fixing it would be a waste of time, not to mention risky. They placed two objects on the edge of the sink, a half empty bottle of hair dye and a small little container.

" _I really need to conserve, I should just do a touch up."_

Turning around, they held up a hand mirror to see the back of their head in the main mirror. Searching their scalp thoroughly, they discovered a small spot of fading color on the back of their head. They opened their palm and squeezed out a bit of dye only for a large glob to come out.

" _Crap, that was a bit too much. So much for conserving."_ They thought, muttering quietly to themselves as they carefully coated the area in the dye. After quickly applying the color to the rest of the places in need, they turned on the small metal faucet to clean up. They winced as the cold water splashed against their already sore, wet hands.

" _I hate that this stupid dye needs cold water to come off."_ They scowled, muttering to themselves silently. " _No way am I using permanent dye, I wanna hold onto something from my past life even if nobody can see it. Or maybe I...no. I can't go back now. After all I've put everyone through I could never go back…"_

Blasting a hair dryer against the newly colored spots, they quickly looked in the mirrors to make for certain that they hadn't missed anything.

" _Oh thank god, I don't have to redo anything. My hands are already sore as is."_

Walking towards the door, they could still vaguely hear a conversation. Swallowing, they moved a shaky hand towards the door before pulling back.

" _No no, you'll make them too curious if you're this wary, I'm suspicious enough as is."_ Exhaling heavily, they put themselves into the shy girl persona. There was a shifting of feet as the latch was undone and the door was pushed ajar.

"S-She came out!" exclaimed a girl with slick black hair in a bowl cut. The other girl was skinny as a twig but wore a cute little smile. They were barely shorter by what they could assume to be a fraction of a centimeter.

"Oh, hey! I'm your new neighbor, Ishi Lishika!" Introduced the skinny girl in a thick Kansai accent. "Sorry to bother you, but I made you some rice and curry as a housewarming gift!"

Keeping up the act, they inched out of the doorway with a curled hand to their chin. The double blink was added for extra effect. The looks on their faces proved it successful.

"Wow, she's really cute!" Mrs. Bowl Cut added quietly to herself. Extending out the plate, Ishi gave a warm smile and continued.

"The residence owner said you were shy and reserved from the rest of the others living here. If you're shy about groups, I'm happy to chat over lunch!"

" _Like hell I'm going to join you, especially if the red head comes back."_ She thought, lying through a shy smile.

She took the plate of curry, kept warm in a simple plastic wrap. It had cooled somewhat, but not nearly enough for her to even consider turning it down.

"So…what's your name?" Bowl Cut decided to bowl cut in. "I'm not picky on formality if you're worried about that!"

"C...Cheryll…"

"You're pretty cute Cheryll! Maybe we can hang out sometime?" Ishi offered.

" _Maybe if I can assure it's just the two of us, then at least it means a lot less nights going hungry. Just as long as-"_

"Oooooooiiiiiii!" Called out a voice followed by a heavy pounding of feet. Running full speed at her like an ox was that same red haired mass of muscle and boundless energy. While the two girls were distracted, Cheryll darted inside with her meal and locked the door behind her to prevent an unwanted entry. She took nervous steps back as heavy pounding came to the door.

"Hey wait! Come back out, I just wanna say hi!" Called the bull.

"Hannah, why'd you have to go and scare her like that? We finally got her out!"

"Oh cheer up Natalia, it's just a process! She'll be out and about with us in no time!"

" _You're making me want to leave LESS if I'm being honest."_ Cheryll told herself, thoroughly reconsidering her little meal escapades. " _I'd also bother to remember Natalia's name if Bowl Cut wasn't easier."_

"I guess we were on the money." Ishi commented through a sigh. "That girl is all kinds of shy."

"Living alone like this is probably lonely for her." Worried Bowl Cut. "I wonder why she's hiding like this."

" _Oh if only I could tell you just how much has happened…"_ Cheryll thought sadly, walking towards the center of her living room. Sitting down at a small table in the center, she looked up at the small tv collecting dust in the corner. It came with the apartment, but Cheryll never even bothered to touch it to avoid an increase in her electric bill. Removing the plastic wrap, she grabbed a plastic spoon that Ishi was kind enough to offer alongside it.

" _I think my box of plastic spoons was getting low anyway. Seems it's one less meal away from having to get more from the store. Now that I think about it, my forks are running a bit low too…"_

Bit by bit, she began to dig into her neighbor's generous offering. The curry itself was pretty well made, but the rice was needlessly dry.

" _Beggars can't be choosers I guess."_ Cheryll thought to herself as she dined by her lonesome in the silent confines of her living room. " _Was this life really worth the sacrifice?"_

* * *

The small beep of Riko's car locking echoed through the sparsely populated concrete chambers. Holding her pocket book strap firmly, she glanced nervously around the near vacant lot. Near vacant in terms of cars anyway, as not a single other soul was around.

" _When Maki said she wanted to meet in a lot, I had no idea she meant an underground one! Jeez, I even had to take a different route in to avoid passing the school. I'm not even supposed to be there today, why was the different route necessary!?"_

Her internal rant was cut short at the sound of a powerful roar slowly fading in from the distance. Looking over at the ramp to above, she saw a dark red sports car drive down the ramp, headlights glowing softly on the road ahead. The halls were filled with the sound of the motor as the car drove up to Riko's. Rolling down the window, an indifferent Maki motioned with her head for Riko to get in.

"Is the sports car really necessary?"

"It's not that expensive, it's just a Mercedes. Now hop in, the meeting's gonna start pretty soon. It'll only make us look more suspicious if we show up late."

With a quick nod, Riko jogged around the front of the noisy machine to hop in shotgun. The noise was more muffled on the inside, probably how Maki was able to put up with it. The interior was a nice cream color, the seats having the luxury of heating.

"Are all your cars like this?" Riko asked astounded, rubbing the seat with her hands to take in the warm feeling.

"What can I say, we almost always pick the same colors. I think the color matches my black suit quite nicely if I'm being honest."

" _Not what I meant but...ok."_

After a brief drive, Maki parked in a space near the building on the far left. Riko wanted to sit and melt into the heated seats, but unfortunately that wasn't an option. Hopping out, she quickly gave Maki a nod before darting around back. Straightening her intense expression, Maki made her way in the normal entrance. Lisa wasn't there for once, but Maki expected that. There was nobody in need of greeting, so she had no reason to stand out front as she would when Riko had her lessons. Narrowing her eyes, she quickened her pace and headed around to make sure Lisa was in the meeting room before Riko was let in. There was a side door just down the same hall as her piano room, so it would be quick and fairly easy to sneak Riko inside. As she turned down the hallway, she noticed Lisa emerge from the ladies room down the same hall. She perked up and walked swiftly over to Maki.

" _Same cautious expression as always...the second I find that dirt on you I'll…"_

" _GOOD AFTERNOON, MA- I MEAN MRS. NISHIKINO. ALL SET FOR THE MEETING?"_

Keeping her firm gaze, Maki gave a slow nod. Murder suspicion aside, Lisa had always shown friendliness towards Maki. A bit too much friendliness that is. When Lisa first joined Maki was indifferent, but in time she grew a bit sick of it. Lisa wasn't a bad person, but Maki always saw her as a bit too clingy. After some time, Lisa grew to bear the same sad expression she was wearing this very instant. Maki didn't buy it whatsoever, especially since the murderer explanation would give her a motive to watch Maki closely.

" _IS SOMETHING THE MATTER? YOU'RE LOOKING RATHER...INTENSE TODA-"_

"It's nothing, really. I'm fine."

" _NOTHING WRONG WITH TAKING A BREAK TO REL-"_

"Just get to the meeting room will you? I need to go grab something."

" _I CAN GRAB IT FOR YO-"_

"Please just go!" Maki directed, raising her voice somewhat in annoyance. Lisa looked down at her feet and gave a sad nod. Maki walked quickly by her, not even turning a glance to look at her as she passed by. Lisa continued down the hallway in a slow pace. Once inside the piano room, Maki couldn't help but stand and stare at the piano with a somber pained look.

" _Seeing the piano from afar...it reminds me of that night. The night I found out about the murder. I had called Kotori to check up on her. The despair in her voice...it was almost too much to bear. I'd never heard her scream in such agony before...it broke my heart in two. It's all Lisa's fault...she has to be the killer. I know she is. I swear I'll make her suffer…"_

* * *

Riko stood alone in the empty piano room, keeping an open ear to the hall for any footsteps. Maki had told her to wait about 5 minutes or so to allow everyone to gather in the room, leaving her to stand by herself and stare into space. The only thing to sate her boredom was a glance at her watch from time to time or staring out the window to see if any birds were passing by. Unfortunately for Riko, the birds weren't exactly active at the moment.

" _The suspense is killing me. What am I even supposed to find in her room? I don't expect her to be carrying damaging evidence around with her 24/7 after all. I can't blame her for wanting to find the truth...but is she really ok? Aqours has striven for miracles in the past, but even I have to admit this plan is outlandish. The two of us could easily get serious legal action against us, let alone the possibility of being killed by a serial killer. Everything about this is one big dangerous dumpster fire, what the hell is Maki thinking? What...is she thinking?"_

Riko's thoughts fell silent for a moment as a bad feeling arose in her gut. She took another glance at her watch. Still another 2 minutes left.

" _You know...I'm starting to think that something is terribly wrong beneath the surface. The perfect murder...an impossible escape with no suspects...the way Maki's acting...this case can't be correct at face value. It's just impossible. Whatever I find in Lisa's room, if I'm lucky enough to find anything, might just uncover a much darker truth then we'd all anticipated._

Weighed down by dread, she trudged her way down the hall towards Lisa's room. It was the third room in a row of seemingly identical doorways. Doing a quick double take behind her, Riko exhaled heavily and reached for the handle. Entering and flipping the lightswitch, she entered a small room padded with noise absorbing triangle pieces. On one end stood a small piano and the other a small table with a lone bag. Otherwise, the room was completely empty. She closed the door silently behind her, examining the piano for any possible compartments or whatever. It was in need of some repair, the wood being a little rough in places. She also found by playing with the keys that the C sharp key didn't work.

" _Poor thing."_

Moving onto the elephant in the room, she approached the bag with a slow cautious movement. Removing her knife, she prepared herself for investigation. She unzipped the bag slowly, revealing a surprisingly normal assortment of items inside. A small light brown wallet made of fake leather, a little bit of makeup, she even kept a comb just like Maki except stained with a yellow coloring. She picked up a small little bottle hidden away under Lisa's wallet, observing it closely.

" _Non-permanent hair dye? I guess that explains the coloring on the comb...but permanent hair color would be more convenient for a disguise...so why would…"_

Checking through the other pockets, she found little else of importance. Not a single clue aside from the bottle which already confirmed the obvious. She was just about to give up when she noticed one last object buried in the clutter. It was a small purple box, about the size of a wedding ring's case. Holding the small box in her hands, she placed her shaky fingers on the lid.

" _What in the world is this? Don't tell me she's married! I guess I have no choice but to check."_

She hesitated a moment before finally lifting the lid slowly to view what was inside. There, sitting in the soft interior of the case...was nothing.

" _I-It's empty!? Why would she be carrying around an empty case like this? I guess that can only mean she has it as we-"_

Just then, the door opened. Riko whirled around, empty case still in hand to come face to face with their suspect.

" _RIKO...WHY ARE YOU...WHAT ARE YOU...OH NO."_

Riko's terror led to a drive for self defense, grabbing the knife and pointing it straight at Lisa. Lisa held her hands in front of her, stepping back with an equal if not larger amount of terror.

" _I-I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING RIKO, BUT PLEASE-"_

"Listen here, murderer. You're going to tell me what this box has inside, or else. Understand me?"

" _B-BUT-"_

"Or would you rather me get rid of your precious hair dye?"

Lisa gasped, horror spread across her face. Riko could see so many conflicting emotions and thoughts behind her fearfully shaking eyes. She seemed to be taking her time to think of the best course of action. Finally, she hung her head and wiped away a few tears.

" _I KNOW YOU HAVE NO REASON TO TRUST ME...BUT PLEASE DON'T UNCOVER MY TRUE SELF. I BEG OF YOU!"_

"Then you better tell me why. We know you were involved, so you had best come clean."

" _IF I TELL YOU...IT'LL ONLY CAUSE MAKI MORE SUFFERING. PLEASE...I DON'T WANT TO HURT HER ANYMORE."_

"What a load of bullcrap! If you didn't want to hurt her, why would you have-"

" _LISTEN RIKO. I DIDN'T WEAR THIS DISGUISE AND GO THROUGH ALL THIS EFFORT TO BECOME LISA CONA AS JUST ANOTHER MASQUERADE. DON'T TELL ME YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED? THE WAY SHE ACTS NOWADAYS?"_

"I...did see that. What are you getting at?"

" _MAKI'S BECOME OVERWHELMED BY GRIEF. I WANT HER TO AT LEAST HOLD ONTO SOME HOPE OF JUSTICE FOR HER FRIEND...EVEN IF IT'S A LIE."_

"Creating a false hope? Lisa, do you know what happened to Umi?"

" _YES, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING I THINK MAKI CAN HANDLE. SO PLEASE-"_

"Oh shut up and let's get this over with." came a voice from the doorway. Lisa backed in and let her mouth hang agape. It was Maki.

"M-Maki!" Riko sputtered. "I thought the meeting was still going on!"

"Lisa went for a break, so I figured she was up to something. Now as for you Lisa…" Maki continued, grabbing Lisa by the arm and giving her a hard glare. "...you will tell us everything. Not a single detail left out. Understand?"

Lisa gave in with a somber nod, dread written on her face. Maki turned back to Riko.

"Thank you, without your help I never would have caught this psychopath...or at least done so and lived. Now come on, we're going back to her place! We have some confessions to get!"

Just then, Riko saw something for the first time in Maki. There, holding firmly onto Lisa by the arm, she stood and gave Riko a wide grin. But it wasn't the same warm smile she saw when she first met, not even close. All she bore now was a vengeful grin of triumph and insanity.


	15. Chapter 15: Maki's Despair

Chapter 15: Maki's Despair

Riko sat silently in the passenger seat, knife held loosely in her hand. She glanced out the window or rather at the window to watch Maki's reflection. Looking up at her mirror, Maki kept a firm eye on Lisa to the point that she was paying more attention to her little convict than the road. Riko could only pray that the police wouldn't notice or at least couldn't see, not to mention her being incapable of calling out Maki on her reckless driving from the intensity in the air.

" _She's looking again. I can tell from the look in her eyes she can't wait to strangle the life out of Lisa for answers. Something's still off about this...if Umi was murdered and her murder took place in a locked room with no suspects without an alibi...how could Lisa even get involved to begin with? We know now that she was, but why was she talking about protecting Maki? A part of me wants to believe it's an elaborate lie, but my gut is telling me she's telling the truth. The whole time I've known her I never saw her as ingenuous, she always gave off this calm and shy aura. Even now I swear I can see true sadness in her eyes."_

"It's that building on the right...the tall yellow apartment building." Lisa directed. Pulling into the mostly vacant lot out front, Maki parked in front of a large bush. The intensity only grew at the sounds of Maki shifting into park and shutting off the engine, everyone awaiting the inevitable conversation.

"Show us to your apartment, be quick and be quiet." Maki directed coldly. "When we get there, I want a full confession and I want a full sweep of the place. Understood?"

" _I UNDERSTAND."_

"Good. Now move it."

The two of them were unnerved at how cooperative Lisa was being despite the look of dread crossing her face. She didn't appear to be plotting anything, nor did she appear to have any intention of running away. If she really was the killer however, it was likely this was a faked emotion. Wouldn't be the first example were it to be true. Riko gulped as Lisa stopped in front of a faded blue apartment door. As she began to unlock, she paused and looked up at them with a serious look.

" _BELIEVE ME OR NOT, I HID MYSELF AWAY SO THINGS WOULD BE RESOLVED IN A WAY THAT GAVE AT LEAST SOME GLIMMER OF HOPE. IF YOU CHOOSE TO CONTINUE-"_

"Quit your stalling and open the stupid door." Maki growled. Reluctantly, Lisa's expression grew defeated as she opened the door with a near inaudible creak. The hallway was dark and stuffy, the odor of ramen noodles faintly wafting from a mostly vacant kitchen area. Any light that came in was blocked by drawn curtains of a navy shade. The place was so desolate that Riko could barely imagine someone was living here.

"It wouldn't kill you to brighten up the place." Riko jested, trying to release some tension.

"EVERY TIME I SET FOOT OUTSIDE I RISK MY IDENTITY BEING DISCOVERED. BUYING LITTLE KNICK KNACKS WOULD WASTE WHAT PRECIOUS MONEY I HAVE, WHICH COULD IN TURN AFFECT WHAT LITTLE MONEY I HAVE FOR MEALS."

" _Ouch, remind me never to give pep talks under stress again."_ Riko thought, feeling a pang of guilt.

"How is suffering like this helping anyone, let alone me?" Maki jut in aggressively. "I think you'd be better off behind prison bars if I'm being honest."

Lisa gestured to follow her wordlessly as she headed for a desk wedged up against her bedside. It was wooden with metal handles to pull out 4 small identical drawers that were separated in the middle by a gap for a chair. On the far left side away from the bed was a larger drawer that was opened from the side more like a kitchen cabinet than the other 4. Lisa crouched down and reached for the left drawer only to be stopped at the cold sensation of metal. Maki had put a knife to her throat.

"Keep going." Maki urged condescendingly. "It's just a safety precaution, I'm sure you can understand that."

Lisa put a hand to the drawer as she readied herself to pull it open. She could feel the knife shaking against her throat, as if Maki's tension was being transmitted directly into her body. Feeling her emotional instability was almost enough to make Lisa cry. Pulling open the drawer, she revealed a large ziplock bag containing…

"A...bottle?" Riko asked in confusion.

" _NOT JUST ANY BOTTLE. AT ONE POINT...THIS BOTTLE CONTAINED UMI'S BLOOD."_

Riko flicked on the lights. She moved in closer to get a better look, and sure enough there was a hardened residue on the inside of the bottle. The inside had lines down the side indicating the bottle was mostly filled with blood at one point. A thin crusted layer sat at the very bottom, still untouched since it's sealing.

"You had evidence hidden this entire time!?" Maki scolded angrily. "That in itself should send you off to jail!"

" _THAT I CANNOT DENY...BUT I HAD NO CHOICE."_

"No choice my ass! I'm taking that to the police as soon as we're done!"

" _LET ME PROMISE YOU SOMETHING MAKI. TAKING THAT BOTTLE TO THE POLICE MEANS I CANNOT PROTECT YOU ANY LONGER. THEN AGAIN, IT'S NOT LIKE THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN SAY OR DO TO STOP YOU NOW."_

"Stop using your stupid metaphors and tell me straight, damn you!" Maki instructed as she brought the knife closer. Riko could see a thin line of blood emerging on the end of the knife, making her step back unconsciously. She wasn't sure who to be more terrified of, Lisa or Maki.

" _REMEMBER THAT BLOOD STAIN IN HER ROOM? IT WASN'T CAUSED BY HER BEING STABBED. THAT BLOOD WAS INTENTIONALLY PUT THERE, AND AS FOR HOW THAT BLOOD WAS STORED...I THINK YOU CAN PIECE THAT TOGETHER."_

"But...for that amount of blood to be put into that bottle she would have had to struggle and make a lot of noise for an excessively long time." Riko concluded. "Maki, didn't the security cameras confirm she was alive earlier that day?"

"Yes, there was only possible location for the murder. Umi was seen alive heading for her room earlier that day and she never left the building or headed to the main halls. Lisa, what the hell is going on!?"

"What would be the point of killing someone and putting blood into a bottle only to dump it out in the same room? If that bottle really only had Umi's prints on it, then that means she had prior knowledge of this. But why would she-"

That's when the truth dawned on Riko.

"That means...Umi planned for this to happen. But if Umi was responsible then- Don't tell me this was...this was…"

" _...suicide."_

"That's absurd! Don't you lie to me!" Maki yelled, hands beginning to shake. "Umi would never...she never…"

" _IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, GO ON AND TAKE THE BAG. I ASSURE YOU-"_

"You're lying! That can't be true! It can't be! She...she…"

Maki dropped her knife. She staggered to her feet, breathing heavily with her hands to her head. Grabbing the bag, she bolted out of the room screaming bloody murder. Stunned, the two girls sat motionlessly and listened to the fading sounds of Maki's heart breaking in two. Riko fell to her knees, parting her lips a tad to say something, but there wasn't a thing she could think to say. After the screams had long faded, Lisa finally had the courage to speak up. If it weren't for the synthesizer, Riko figured she'd probably be choking up.

" _I USED TO BE A FRIEND OF UMI'S, CHERYLL. UMI KNEW ME, BUT WE ONLY MET AFTER μ's BROKE UP SO I NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THE OTHER MEMBERS PERSONALLY. THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, I WENT WALKING ON A PATH NEARBY UMI'S HOME THAT I LIKED TO STROLL THROUGH. THAT'S HOW WE FIRST MET ACTUALLY."_

"I take it that's where you found the bottle?"

" _YES. IT WAS STILL IN ITS BAG WHEN I FOUND IT. AT FIRST I THOUGHT SOME JERK HAD TOSSED THEIR GARBAGE ASIDE, SO I WENT TO PICK IT UP AND THROW IT AWAY. BY THE TIME I HAD IT IN MY HANDS, I REALIZED THERE WAS BLOOD INSIDE IT. FRESH BLOOD. I RAN BACK TOWARDS THE ROAD WHEN I HEARD THE SOUNDS OF POLICE SIRENS IN THE DISTANCE. FEARING I MAY BE LABELED A KILLER, I HID THE BOTTLE AWAY AND WENT TO INVESTIGATE. WHEN I FOUND OUT UMI WAS THE ONE KILLED, I RAN AWAY FROM MY APARTMENT AND HID IN FEAR THAT I'D BE ACCUSED OF THE KILLING. THE ONLY PERSON WHO KNEW THIS BEFORE NOW WAS THE OWNER OF MRS. TRELLA'S, WHO I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET IN TOUCH WITH. SHE GOT ME A JOB THERE, BUT THERE WAS ONLY SO MUCH SHE COULD DO IN THE WAY OF PAY. I'VE LIVED IN FEAR IN THIS TINY ROOM EVER SINCE."_

"But...why give her the bottle now? After all that effort you're gonna give in?"

" _IF THERE'S ONE THING THAT I LEARNED FROM WATCHING MAKI, IT'S THAT SHE'S MORE SENSITIVE THAN SHE LOOKS. SINCE MAKI WAS CLOSE TO UMI I THOUGHT I COULD GROW CLOSE TO HER AS I DID WITH UMI, BUT...I TRIED TOO HARD TO BE FRIENDLY AND MADE HER HATE ME INSTEAD. SHE DOESN'T HAVE AN OUNCE OF FAITH LEFT IN ME, NOT NOW. ONCE THEY FIND OUT I'VE BEEN HIDING EVIDENCE I'M GOING TO NEED TO FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE TO LIVE...ALTHOUGH AT THIS POINT, GOING TO JAIL SOUNDS MUCH BETTER THAN THE LIFE I'M LIVING RIGHT NOW. SHE'S GOING TO BRING THAT BOTTLE NO MATTER WHAT. YOU SEE, MAKI WANTS TO FIND SOMETHING THAT'LL GIVE HER THE SENSE OF JUSTICE FOR HER FRIEND'S DEATH...BUT THERE NEVER WAS ANY JUSTICE TO BE FOUND. ONLY TRAGEDY."_

"I get it now. You hid that bottle because you wanted her to hold onto that hope?"

" _YES, BUT...SEEING THOSE TERRIFYING LOOKS ON HER FACE...I THINK I HURT HER INSTEAD."_ She held her open hand to the wound on her neck, a droplet of blood flowing onto her index finger. " _OH RIKO...I'VE MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE…"_

* * *

Ruby hummed cheerfully as she carefully brought a cup of green tea to Dia's room. She held a small cooking pad on the bottom of the hot cup, keeping it steady as she went. Lightly pushing open the door, she came in to find Dia in the middle of a book. Glancing up, she gave Ruby a warm smile as she put the book down with a bookmark.

"Thank you Ruby. It smells delicious."

"You know I have to give my Rubesty for you, sis!"

Ruby handed the tea over to Dia, who began lightly blowing on it to cool it down.

"Do you know if Riko is doing any better?"

Dia put down her cup as she swallowed, exhaling softly afterward.

"I'm not sure. She was insistent on helping Maki with something, but it sounded kind of sketchy."

"Sketchy? Riko isn't doing something...dangerous is she? Last time she got involved with something sketchy…"

Dia looked down at her tea as the worry inside started to creep back up. She let her finger rock back and forth on the edge of her cup, now cool enough to touch near the top.

"It's just one problem after another isn't it?" Dia sighed. "I expected us to have a tough time returning to glory, but I never would've guessed something like this."

Ruby glanced at the prosthetic leg sitting at Dia's bedside with a pang of guilt.

"If this hadn't happened...would you have been happy, sis?"

"That's not a question I expected from you of all people." Dia mused, pausing to taking another sip of tea. "It's true I'd still have my leg if we never got back together."

"I understand. Are you suggesting we…"

"I'm not finished speaking." Dia interrupted, making Ruby look up curiously. "It's true I'd have my leg, but in return I was able to finally get off my chest all these things I never had the guts to say before. As a result, we both were hurt and we both grew. People grow from pain Ruby, and you've blossomed beautifully."

"Sis…that means a lot coming from you. Thank you."

"No, thank you Ruby. This is your achievement, be proud of yourself."

Ruby rubbed her head bashfully, making the sisters exchange a soft heart to heart between sisters was cut short at the sound of the doorbell. Ruby got up and jogged lightly towards the door. She stopped to lean back in the doorway to Dia's room.

"Are you fine with guests?"

"Fine by me. Just call me if you need anything."

Ruby slowed down as she approached the door, gently pulling it open with a smile. She looked up in surprise to see Riko standing there with a pained look in her bloodshot eyes.

"R-Riko? Your eyes are all red...are you ok?"

"Ruby…" Riko responded in a defeated tone. "Can I speak to Dia for a moment?"

* * *

Finishing her story, Riko stared down at her feet that she was dangling over the edge of Dia's bed. Leaning back into her pillow, Dia sighed heavily.

"At the very least I'm happy you're not in serious danger, but that was way too reckless. I don't think I need to explain what happened last time I acted recklessly."

Riko gave a guilty nod in understanding.

"Look, I understand you meant your best." Dia comforted. "...but sometimes there are things we can't help with. You gave it your best shot and the truth behind it wasn't your fault."

"But I...I set this whole mess in motion because I was feeling petty about losing my channel. In comparison to Maki and Lisa I feel like some whiny kid. Maki lost one of her best friends who she spent ages trying to find justice only to find out she took her own life. Lisa lived in fear in a small run down apartment out of of concern for her life and Maki's mental health. Yet here I am complaining about a channel on the internet being shut down because I was worried I wasn't standing out in our popular idol group. What kind of a fool am I?"

Dia opened her mouth to continue, but there wasn't much she could think to say. She just exhaled through her nose and drummed her fingers on her now empty cup.

"Riko...would you like to stay the night?" Ruby cut in abruptly. "After today I think it would be better for you to be somewhere you won't be alone. I'm already taking care of Dia, so helping you out would be second nature!"

"Ruby, I couldn't ask you to-"

"It's fine by me." Dia reassured with a pat on Riko's shoulder. "It gets boring sitting in bed all day with only one person to talk to occasionally."

Riko hesitated for a brief moment before giving in with a shrug and a tiny smile.

"Alright, fine. You convinced me."

"Yes!" Ruby exclaimed while hopping joyfully. "I'll go put on some more tea for you. What kind would you like?"

"Same as what Dia was having, thank you."

Ruby nodded and joyfully headed back to get Riko a fresh batch. Dia set her cup aside on her table and looked back at Riko.

"She's really grown, hasn't she?"

"Undoubtedly. She's got a more mature vibe nowadays that conflicts with her usual fluffy personality. It's not a bad thing, just...unusual coming from her."

"I get what you mean. Somehow after all these years, the tables have finally turned. The two of us have been much happier as of late despite all that's happened. I finally gave Ruby her freedom to grow, and in return she's helping me recover by caring for me. For everything we've had to experience, I'm more glad than anything that we can live happily once again."

"You know Dia...I hate to ruin your good mood, but without your leg will you even be able to dance anymore?"

"Most likely not, but that's not the only way I can contribute to Aqours. I'm sure in time I could even find a way to dance with this leg. I could even get one specially made if I absolutely desired it. Just because you lost something doesn't mean it has to be the end of piano for you. Just because the case turned out to be disappointing doesn't mean it's the end for Cheryll or Maki either."

"Wha- Dia, you saw what happened when I interfered! Maki practically had a mental breakdown! No, she DID have a mental breakdown! I've put them through enough already."

"You're blaming yourself?"

"Who else can I blame? If it weren't for me-"

Dia cut her short, grabbing her arm and leaning in close.

"Buu Buuuuu desu wa! Can't you see that the secret behind this whole mess occurred without you? That Cheryll's struggle was of her own making? That Maki was the one who wanted to find the killer in the first place? What happened had nothing to do with you, you were only the catalyst for a mess waiting to happen. If you hadn't stepped in then someone else surely would've."

"You're right. I'm being silly. What would we do without you Dia?"

* * *

A gentle knock came on the door. The door clicked open softly as Maki's mother looked inside.

"Honey, dinner's ready if you want something."

Maki didn't respond. She was lying on her side, staring out the window at nothing in particular. She clearly wasn't asleep but she was hardly in the mood to say anything. Her mother walked over to her side and crouched down by her head, rubbing it softly.

"I won't force you to eat if you don't want to."

"Mmm." Maki mumbled quietly.

"Do you want to talk to me about it?"

"...my head hurts."

Maki's mother gave her a comforting smile as she continued to lightly stroke her hair.

"Everyone gets stressed from time to time, your father and I included. You aren't at fault for anything."

"That's a lie." Maki cut in with a quiet defeated tone. "I treated Lisa- no, Cheryll like she was a killer. I didn't want to believe it and got her convicted of another crime she didn't mean to commit because I wanted to believe she was lying. But she wasn't. All of it was true. The only person who touched that bottle was Umi. Why didn't she tell us she was hurting? I'm so confused...all this time I was looking for who killed her, digging through every scrap of evidence I could get my hands on...now all I have is a single question of why."

"Sometimes answers to questions can't be found, no matter how hard we try. There are some games to play that can't be won, that's one of the most important lessons I've ever learned."

"Mmm."

With one last smile, her mom stood up and walked back towards the door.

"If you'd like, I can make you something to drink instead and bring it up here for you."

"I'm fine."

Pausing briefly, her mom proceeded to close the door. Maki heard her footsteps fade down the hall, the room around her falling back to silence. She laid there for what seemed like hours. Eventually it did become hours. She was so sick of lying down that she forced herself to sit up slowly. She glanced over at her digital clock sitting by her bedside.

" _11:18...did I really stay up that late?"_

Her thoughts were interrupted as her belly rumbled softly, begging for the dinner she skipped. Sighing, Maki stood up to sneak downstairs to find something to help her put off until morning. As she was about to turn to the door, her mirror caught her eye. Pausing, she turned back around and walked over to it. Her mirror was a full body one, something she bought herself to make sure costumes were on correctly or she was presentable for fancy nights out. Staring in her mirror, she saw not the proud Maki Nishikino but the sad eyes of Riko Sakurauchi. Her own expression had become so in tune with that same sad expression Riko bore her first day of piano lessons.

" _Was she really this upset over something so trivial as standing out? Honestly, after all I've gone through at least I have a reason to feel like this."_

Maki almost immediately took it back as she began to internally scold herself for her own self-pity.

" _No...I did this to myself. I have no right treat Riko's problems as irrelevant when it's my fault for working myself up. I'm so lost…"_

Changing her mind, she turned towards a shelf on her opposite wall. On it was a line of plushies of the various members of μ's, some official merch. She stood and stared at the Umi doll, smiling back at her from beyond the grave. She lightly took down the doll and hugged it in a tight embrace as she let her tears stream down her face.

" _Oh Umi...I should've been there for you when I had the chance…"_


	16. Chapter 16: A Pianist's Future

Chapter 16: A Pianist's Future

Cheryll woke up with a groan. The prison mattress wasn't exactly the most comfortable thing in the world, somehow outclassing her own bed back at the apartment in terms of discomfort. She sat up with her feet dangling over the side of her bed, feeling the area on her skin where her communicator usually sat. She was allowed it for use when talking was necessary, but for "safety concerns" she was denied access to it while in solitary confinement. She was arrested shortly after Maki's submission of the bottle under the charges of hiding evidence from authorities. Sure enough, the blood was without a doubt Umi's. An investigation was underway along the trail she found the bag, but Cheryll knew nothing was to be found.

" _Umi's the only one who could've escaped, and she's the only one who could've left the bloodstain in her room. Regardless of whether or not I hid anything, even the police know I'm not guilty of murder. I'm being held on bail, but they set a pretty tidy sum for my release so I doubt anyone would pitch in the cash. Maki's the only one who would actually have the cash to hand over so nonchalantly...if she actually cared about me that is. Why did I have to hide that stupid bottle? It's my fault for breaking Maki like that...I'm certain she still hates me."_

Her thoughts were interrupted at the sound of approaching footsteps. A prison guard stopped in front of her cell with an indifferent expression.

"Good news, someone bailed ya out. Come along now and collect your belongings,"

Cheryll wanted to ask so many questions, but without her synthesizer there wasn't a word she could say.

" _Wait...did Maki really bail me out?"_ Cheryll thought hopefully as she tensely made her way through her release procedure. As she made her way towards the lobby her heart began to flutter. " _After everything that happened...she's finally willing to open up to me...is she? Maki...Maki…"_

She scanned the lobby almost immediately after stepping into it, eyes darting around frantically looking for any signs of Maki. Standing baffled, she noticed the lobby was almost entirely empty save for one young lady she'd never seen before in her life.

"What, don't tell me you don't even know who bailed you out." The guard mused. "The kind lady over there was nice enough to set you free, I'd suggest giving her a proper thank you."

" _I would know who bailed me out if you had told me! How was I supposed to know?"_ Cheryll complained internally.

" _Y-YES, OF COURSE."_

She felt a bit more relieved knowing her communicator hadn't been damaged, rubbing the spot near it with her index finger unconsciously. She slowly made her way over to the mysterious woman, holding her wrist with her right hand tightly pressed to her chest. Standing up, the woman gave a playful smile whilst holding her hands together behind her back. Cheryll felt a bit unnerved but tried her best not to be rude to her releaser.

"It's been a while since I've met someone who didn't know me." She said curiously. "Want me to give a hint?"

" _She's totally toying with me!"_ Cheryll thought in mild annoyance.

" _WHY DID YOU BAIL ME OUT?"_

"Aw boo! You're no fun!" the lady pouted. "Nobody gets through life by wearing a frowny face all the time!"

" _She sounds more like a child than a woman."_ Cheryll deduced skeptically. The look on her face must've been something else judging by her new friend's cheeky smile.

"I guess Riko wasn't lying about your shyness after all."

"W-Wait, hold on a second! Riko? As in Riko Sakurauchi?"

"Bingo!~" She applauded, clapping her hands together like a game show host. "Riko was the one who convinced me to bail you out actually."

" _YOU'RE A FRIEND OF HERS?"_

"More than just a friend, I'm in the same idol group as her!" She smuggly revealed, waving her finger up and down. "I'm Mari Ohara! Pleasure's all mine!~"

The cop started to slowly walk over like a kid trying to contain excitement as they approached an ice cream truck. He looked like he wanted to ask something, most likely something of not much importance from the sort of giddy look behind it. Cheryll had grown accustomed to it once.

"You don't mean Mari from...aqua? Aquis?" The cop probed more timidly. "My daughter adores your group, would it be ok if I could get her an autograph?"

"Of course!~"

" _I guess even the firmest of people get giddy over these kinds of things."_ Cheryll thought to herself, hiding her slight amusement. After signing a few knick knacks, the cop finally left them to their own devices with a dumb grin plastered on his face. Her amusement had faded into mild irritation by this point. As she followed the cheerfully humming blond to her ride to who knows where, she couldn't help but stare at Mari with a look of fascination.

" _OK, YOU HAD PLENTY OF TIME GOOFING AROUND WITH THAT COP. NOW TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING TO DO WITH ME."_

"You're coming to stay with me for now, silly!~" Mari revealed with a cheerful wag of her finger. "I already got in touch with your boss, she told me everything I needed to know!"

" _YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS FOR ME. THERE'S NOT MUCH I CAN DO I RETURN ASIDE FROM EVENTUALLY PAYING BACK THE LOAN FOR THE BAIL."_

"Loan? Non, non, non! Consider it a favor!"

" _B-BUT, THE BAIL WAS ABSURDLY EXPENSIVE!"_ Cheryll protested as she hopped in the passenger seat. " _SURELY YOU'LL NEED THAT MONEY BACK!"_

"Really? It didn't seem like a huge price tag." Mari shrugged off. "It was only a few grand."

" _Only!? How rich is this lady!?"_

A short drive later, she saw for herself the answer to her own question. Cheryll's jaw almost dropped when the massive sides of the mansion came into view. Any place was better than her old ratty apartment, but this was way above and beyond what she'd expected.

"Something wrong?"

" _N-NO, I'M JUST...STUNNED. OF ALL THE PLACES TO STAY FROM NOW ON, THIS IS NOTHING LIKE WHAT I EXPECTED."_

"It's not my biggest mansion, I can find you another one need be."

" _She has more than one!?"_ Cheryll thought in astoundment. " _Umi was never this wealthy...just what kind of family is she a part of?"_

Mari pulled up to the gate, rolling down her window and touching a buzzer. A polite man's voice came through the receiver.

"Ohara Residence, how may I help you today?"

"Let's open!~" Mari replied cheerfully.

"Ah! Mistress Mari! I'll open the gate for you at once!"

" _MISTRESS MARI?"_ Cheryll queried. " _IS THAT A BUTLER OR SOMETHING SPEAKING?"_

"Oh wow! Calling me mistress off the bat! I'm flattered!"

" _N-NO, I MEANT-"_

"Oh, Mrs. Mari? I'm not married, but I appreciate the formality!"

One look at Mari's smug face told Cheryll that probing further would only get her toyed with further. She turned forward, taking in the view of the glow of the sun reflecting off the panels on the roof. The building seemed to shimmer in magnificence with an overpowering aura of wealth and power. Cheryll swallowed unconsciously, starting to feel a bit nervous. As Mari parked her car, a thin man in a suit opened the door leading inside. He gave a warm welcoming smile, placing a hand softly on his chest in greetings. A sense of maturity and professionalism exuded from him.

"Did the release process go smoothly?" He inquired softly as Mari approached the entrance.

"I got a little delayed by a fanboy officer, but I really didn't mind. Such a stern figure hovering like a child around a candy store was amusing in an ironic sort of way."

" _Guess I wasn't alone."_

The butler's eyes drifted to Cheryll with a mild look of surprise.

"You must be Cheryll. It's a pleasure to meet you. Although I serve Mari first and foremost, feel free to call upon me if you need something."

" _THAT'S REALLY NOT NECESSARY, I-"_

"Don't worry, it's no hassle to him!" Mari cut in. "He's a butler, waiting on me and my guests is his job!"

" _Maybe I should order him to get some sleep..."_

Making her way inside to a central living room, she gazed around to see a few couches and bean bag chairs in front of a big TV. A few fancy tables sat near the left side of the room, most likely used for events from Cheryll's deductions.

"It doesn't have a fountain like my other house nearby, but this room is pretty special in it's own right."

" _REALLY? HOW SO?"_

"This was the room where Aqours first got back together after all these years." Mari said with a warm nostalgic look on her face. "Kanan was against the idea at first, but with a little push from Chika we managed to pull it off."

" _I'M...AFRAID I ONLY KNOW RIKO."_

"You know, Riko reminds me a bit of you. Not appearance-wise of course, but she's got this general modesty that covers this deeper sense of self."

" _I WAS IN HIDING IN FEAR OF HAVING MY IDENTITY REVEALED, OF COURSE I HAD TO HIDE MY TRUE FEELINGS."_

"I wasn't there for any of that, remember? Try all you want but I know how to read even the most seclusive of people. Your eyes, your body language, the distance you walk between one person and the next. The people who try the most not to stand out end up being the ones who stand out the most."

" _I HAVEN'T EVEN KNOWN YOU FOR TWO HOURS YET, AND MOST OF THAT TIME WAS SPENT MESSING WITH A POLICE OFFICER."_

"Yet during that time you proved to me that you felt indebted for bailing you out and you easily get flustered despite attempting to maintain a mature appearance on the outside. I was toying with you because that's just how I get to know people. Putting on a facade for a first impression can get you into all sorts of trouble."

" _OK MS. PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR, YOU DON'T NEED TO SHOW OFF."_

The two girls began to giggle hysterically, losing themselves in a laughing fit. Even though Cheryll could hardly speak, she was still capable of a little laughter.

" _BY THE WAY, THERE'S SOMETHING I WANT TO ASK YOU."_ Lisa asked as she regained her composure. " _IS THERE ANY WAY I CAN CONTACT RIKO? I'D LIKE TO THANK HER TOO. I'D ALSO LIKE IF POSSIBLE TO CHECK UP ON THE SITUATION."_

"Riko is a bit busy for most of today, but she said that tonight she'd stop by."

" _I HOPE SHE'S DOING WELL. LAST I SAW, SHE WAS REALLY BOTHERED BY EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED."_

"I know Riko very well, Lisa." Mari assured. "Sometimes she doesn't know where she's going, but when she does, she can make miracles happen."

* * *

"So you're saying...Cheryll's been bailed out?" Maki asked, staring at the ceiling.

"So I've heard anyway." Replied a concerned Kotori over the phone. "I wonder if she's living in that same apartment now."

"Hopefully not. That was an awful way to live."

"I thought you would be mad at her after all this. You know, for keeping a secret all this time."

Maki held her hand up towards the ceiling light in the center of the room, letting the light eclipse around her extended palm.

"Ueeh...I don't hate her, but I don't know what else I think of her to be honest. There's a lot of complicated emotions."

"I guess I can't blame you for that. Are you still in touch with Riko?"

"Riko probably wants nothing to do with me anymore. I got her wrapped up in this mess just to run away screaming like a banshee. What was I thinking!?" Maki chastised herself, punching the bed sheet next to her in frustration.

"C-Calm down Maki, what's done is done! It's not like you didn't have a reason to be upset." Kotori tried to comfort. "If it's anything, at least we have closure."

"Closure? What do you mean closure!? She killed herself without telling anyone as to why, that doesn't sound like closure to me!" Maki snapped back.

"I...I didn't mean to...I'm sorry. I'll go now."

"Wait, wait, Kotori I didn't mean-"

Too late, Kotori had already hung up. Maki groaned and buried her face in her pillow.

" _God this is pathetic. Why is it that anger is my default response to things? Kotori called me out of concern and I just shut her down over a minute detail. Look everyone, it's the genius nurse Maki Nishikino! What a brilliant young lady! Just end me now…"_

Her internal self-lecture was interrupted by the sound of the door closing downstairs. Her mom usually ran errands on Sundays so Maki figured she had come back with something to sate herself with.

" _I missed last night's dinner and this morning's breakfast...I avoid snacking to keep up my figure, but I can make an exception just this once."_

Maki headed down the stairs towards the main entrance, yawning with her hand to her mouth. She grumbled to herself quietly as she rubbed her stomach.

" _Food…"_

She normally wouldn't wear pajamas in front of other people, but it was a weekend so Maki decided to let it slide just one.

"Hey mom, what are we having for lu-"

Maki froze. Standing in the doorway with her mom was Riko. She had a bag in one of her hands, helping Maki's mom carry a few groceries in. They stood staring at each other for a few seconds in complete silence.

"Ueeh!" Maki exclaimed as she ran back upstairs.

"Maki, wait!" Riko exclaimed, chasing after her. Riko couldn't help but feel a bit of deja vu as she ran upstairs. Maki slammed her door and locked it with a click.

"Maki!" Riko called. "I just want to talk!"

"Give me a second to get dressed first!"

"Ok, ok, fine. You look cute in PJs by the way."

"S-Shut up."

By the time Maki had slipped into something presentable, Riko had already headed back downstairs. Maki's mom stood at the bottom of the stairs with a plate of various cheeses and cut meats on a plate. She held them out to Maki as she passed by.

"Riko's waiting in the guest room. Here, take these for the two of you to share as you chat."

"Mom, why IS Riko here? I never invited her over."

"She said there was something important to discuss with you. I'm not sure about the details but I'd guess it has to do with everything going on recently."

"I mean I get why she's here, but...oh forget it. Thank you for the food."

"You girls have a nice time, ok? I'll be relaxing out back if you need me."

Maki stepped in with plate in hand. The two girls made eye contact briefly, but simultaneously averted their eyes awkwardly. Maki put down the plate in the center of the table before taking a seat across from Riko. Maki hunched forward with her hands interlocking at her chin. She looked up at Riko without changing her firm expression.

"I don't think I need ask why you're here. If you're looking to know how I'm doing, I'm doing awful thank you very much. With all due respect, my problems are not yours. I'm sorry I couldn't help you but-"

"That's not why I'm here at all." Riko interrupted with a surprising warmth.

"Eh?"

"I wanted to come here to say...well...thank you."

Maki sat stunned for a few seconds. Her lip quivered as she tried to think of the words to respond with.

"I...beg your pardon?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"But I...I quit on your lessons just because I didn't feel up to it! I dragged you into a dangerous situation because I thought I could use you! Why would you ever thank me for that?"

"You didn't drag anyone into anything. I volunteered to help, remember?"

"That still doesn't give you a reason to thank me! You stressed over me, put yourself at risk for me, stook with me this whole time. All I did in the end was throw my problems aside, no matter its effect on anyone else! Riko, I made an awful mistake. Please don't thank me for anything."

"If you want me to tell you why I'm thanking you, all you need to do is ask."

Maki sat back up straight and sighed.

"If you're really this insistent...fine. I'm all ears."

"Because of you, I'm finally interested in playing piano again."

"What? B-But I thought…"

"I had a bit of an epiphany. When I got to see firsthand what loss had done to your motivation, I started to see why I stopped playing piano. I felt for a while that my work was overshadowed by Aqours and wasn't going anywhere. I got caught up in the monotony of life and everything came all at once when my channel got removed. In the same way, you were slowly getting more and more frustrated with your investigation until the truth finally made you explode. Even if it wasn't intentional, you helped me realize that I was overcomplicating things. I wanted to play piano for my own individual achievement rather than simply wanting to when I first started. I guess I got so caught up in Aqours' revival I somehow forgot the very reason I started playing piano to begin with. Guess I can be a real idiot sometimes, huh?"

Maki remained wordless. There wasn't a thing she could think to say. She began to fidget her hair, looking away with a conflicted expression.

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Eh?"

"Now that you know the truth, there's nothing left that can be pursued. Right?"

"I...I still want to know the reason why...but if I try looking I may never find the answer. I'll just end up back here. So what am I supposed to do?"

"Some things just aren't meant to be known." Riko admitted with a sympathetic look. "But think of it this way. Would Umi want you to chase after answers in a cycle of self-harm? I don't doubt for a second that she would want the best for you."

"I could only imagine the lecture she'd give Honoka if she was in my place. She was firm when it came to lectures, but she always was a little tough on the honkster out of love."

"Honkster?" Riko repeated, clearly amused. "Who's responsible for that nickname?"

"I can't be too sure. It was mostly created by our fans back in the day. We just sort of adopted it behind the scenes for laughs."

"That's fair enough, I for one find it kinda funny." Riko weighed in as she grabbed a bit of cheese and meat from the plate. Maki exhaled softly with a smirk as she followed suit.

"You know...I have a tendency to get easily stressed." Maki explained as she paused to nibble a bit of cheese. "My mom knew this from a young age, so she introduced me to the piano. It's been a way to cope with stress throughout my life, but without the motivation to play it I deteriorated in a matter of days. People call me mature, but in all honesty I fail to see it in myself sometimes. I have too quick a temper at times, although I'll hardly admit it to most people."

"I never would've guessed. When I first met you, there was this aura of maturity around you."

"Guess making a good first impression is one of my strong suits. Maybe I'm just really good at faking maturity."

"Faking it? Maki, I assure you that you're not faking maturity. You're just getting caught up on the things you don't understand. It happens to all of us!"

"I...I don't know."

"Well...do you think you know what's best going onward?"

"Not really, but what you said about Umi is very true. Seems the best course of action is moving on...but that's easier said than done."

"You know Maki, you're not the only one I know who's lost someone important and struggled with it as of late. It's true that "as of late" is a bit of an exaggeration, but...are you familiar with You Watanabe at all?"

"That's one of your group members, correct?"

"Yeah. Not long after we got back together, her father got struck by lightning and unfortunately passed away. We tried to cheer her up, but she was in utter shambles for a good while. Know how she got better? She believes that her father watches over her from above in the night sky. It gives her peace of mind. Maybe...Umi's watching you from beyond too."

Maki sat completely still for a moment, Riko's words visibly having an effect on her. Finally she looked down at her feet and smiled.

"Heh, perhaps. You know Riko...even if our lessons are cancelled, I wouldn't mind...um…"

"Wouldn't mind…?" Riko echoed back.

"Being your...friend. If that's ok?"

"I'd be honored to. Thank you Maki."

"W-What do you mean honored? If this is a joke, I don't get it!"

Riko giggled a bit to herself as Maki turned her head away with a blush. The two girls grabbed another helping of the provided snacks simultaneously.

* * *

"She's in that bedroom there." Mari explained as she pointed out the 4th guest bedroom. "I'd knock first. You know how she is."

Riko nodded, Mari skipping off to allow them their free time. Riko's fist was held in the air next to the door for a few nervous seconds, eventually knocking.

" _YOU CAN COME IN."_

Opening the door, Cheryll was standing by the window with her back to her. Riko softly closed the door and stood examining Cheryll in complete silence. Much to her surprise, Cheryll still had dye in her hair and her communicator on.

" _WHY DID YOU HAVE MARI BAIL ME OUT?"_ Cheryll's monotoned machine spoke. Even without the emphasis of voice, Riko could still feel the emotion behind it instinctively. " _THERE'S NO BENEFIT TO DOING THIS. WHY ARE YOU WASTING YOUR TIME ON ME?"_

"Wasting? Cheryll, there's nothing I'm wasting."

" _I DESERVED SOME SORT OF PUNISHMENT AT THE VERY LEAST. IT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT TO NOT BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR MY OWN ACTIONS AND INSTEAD BE TAKEN IN AND PAMPERED."_

"And spending forever in a cramped apartment living in fear for your life isn't punishment? Cheryll stop it. Maki was beating herself up over this too."

" _SHE...WHAT? I THOUGHT FOR SURE SHE WOULD BLAME ME…"_

"Not at all. In fact, I talked with Maki earlier today. She seemed to blame herself above anyone else. Called herself immature actually."

" _MAKI...IMMATURE? THAT'S SOMETHING I NEVER EXPECTED TO HEAR FROM HER."_

"Same here."

Cheryll turned away from the window and sat down on the nearby bed. It made a gentle poofing noise as she plopped down. Her position was more upright and relaxed, a stark contrast to Maki's earlier stiff hunch.

" _RIKO...WHAT SHOULD I DO? I WANT TO LIVE MY OWN LIFE, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO HIDING IN A CRAMPED APARTMENT. I FEEL SO LOST."_

"Can't you just remove your hair dye and come back so to speak? There's no need to hide your hair or voice anymore."

" _..."_

There was a strange look on Cheryll's face. It was plain as day there was more she had to hide.

"Cheryll...why can't you take it off? Is Cheryll just another disguise?"

" _RIKO...IF ONLY I COULD TELL YOU...I'M SORRY. YOU'RE DOING ALL THIS STUFF TO HELP ME OUT AND I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU THE FULL TRUTH. I PROMISE I DON'T MEAN ANYONE ANY HARM...PLEASE HAVE FAITH IN ME."_

" _The...full truth?"_ Riko thought with bewilderment. " _What more is there to say? Is there a good reason for Cheryll acting the way she does? If she was doing this for more than Maki's sake then...what or who else could she even be doing it for?"_

Lost in thought, the girls locked eyes. Riko finally accepted her defeat. Cheryll was a mystery best left alone. She unintentionally kept staring at Cheryll, making her start to fidget.

" _UM...COULD YOU NOT STARE AT ME SO MUCH? IT'S MAKING ME UNCOMFORTABLE."_

" _If I keep thinking only of her then I'm going to get way too invested in some other mess. I gotta admit, those green eyes of hers are pretty though. Green…"_

Riko continued her oblivious staring contest, Cheryll starting to inch away.

" _RIKO THIS IS REALLY MAKING ME NERVOUS. YOU'RE LIKE SOME SORT OF ROBOT…"_

"Green…"

" _E-EXCUSE ME?"_

"Your eyes...they have a nice green to them."

" _E-EH!?"_ Cheryll sputtered with a strong blush.

"Tell me, what color are your contact lenses?"

" _THEY'RE GREEN, I'M WEARING THEM RIGHT NOW. YOU CAN CHECK MY LENS CASE ON MY DESK THERE TO PROVE I'M WEARING THEM AT THE MOMENT."_

Riko made her way back to the small case she had fished from Cheryll's pocketbook just the day prior. She popped it open, and sure enough the case was empty.

"I see…"

" _IT MIGHT BE A STRIKING CONTRAST WITH MY HAIR COLOR, BUT THEY JUST LOOKED TOO PRETTY TO SAY NO."_

Riko smirked to herself.

"Hmm."

" _WHAT'S SO FUNNY?"_

"I finally solved it. I know the reason you can't tell me."

" _YOU...WHAT? NO, THAT'S ABSURD! HOW DOES LOOKING AT AN EMPTY CASE PROVE ANYTHING?"_

"You see, the day I first saw them...they weren't green at all. No, the color was much more dull. A dull yellow to be exact."

" _W-WHAT ARE YOU-"_

"What color mixes with yellow to make green?"

Cheryll's eyes widened in fear. She knew Riko was right on the mark.

" _PLEASE, I BEG YOU! DON'T TELL ANYONE, NOT EVEN MAKI! YOU CAN'T!"_

"Calm down, I had no intention. In fact, this is something that's best resolved without me."

" _YOU'RE SAYING I SHOULD BE THE ONE TO TELL MAKI?"_

"I won't force you to do it soon, but please make sure you tell her some day. Promise me you will."

Cheryll looked out the window as she exhaled heavily through her nose. She grabbed the bed sheet next to her as she continued to stare off with too many emotions on her face to put to words. Finally, she nodded.

"I'm glad to hear it. I'm sure you have a lot on your mind so I'll leave you be now." Riko concluded as she turned away. She stopped as a raspy voice called after her.

"Riko...T-Thank...you." Cheryll choked out in her real voice, straining from it's lack of usage. Riko turned around at the door with an encouraging smile.

"Best of luck to you...Umi."


	17. Chapter 17: Kanan The Fish

Chapter 17: Kanan The Fish

It was dark yet dimly lit, like a stage in a theatre just before the rising curtains. Kanan was unsure as to where she was, but there was one thing she knew for certain. She was a fish. Faintly, a bright sun began to shine above, a wobbling disk distorted by the waves above. Around her came into light a brilliant coral reef awash with vibrant shades of purple, pink and orange. In between the coral and rocks sat a flat untouched surface of finely ground sand, a bright warm color even lighter than vanilla. Kanan floated as she took in the gorgeous scenery in utter awe. To her surprise, colorful lights began to shine through the water and danced all around her. A faint sound echoed through the water, something that if just a bit clearer Kanan could've made out. As the sound gradually faded in, Kanan could make out a rhythm to it.

" _That song...it sounds so familiar."_ She puzzled with her fins splayed out as she hovered motionlessly. The silence was broken by the sound of movement in the water behind her, making Kanan swirl around. By the time she turned around, whatever had swam by was gone. Another whoosh came above her, then beside her, then under her, then in front. Her eyes locked to another fish darting about in front. They swam in a vertical circle before stopping in front of Kanan with a spin.

"Come on Kanan! Let's have some fun!~" Replied the fish who was apparently Mari. She continued to dart around, spinning and stirring up the water. Mari gestured to follow, Kanan swimming after her with a grin on her face that couldn't help but form. The sand dipped away slightly into a bowl, a variety of sea creatures navigating the colorful expanse of coral. A small Mantis Shrimp scuttled about with its eyes peering upwards as a Red Octopus swam by. It held its arms up in warning at the potential threat, showing off vivid colors. A small gray eel sat peeking out of a hole in the rock with about 7 of its brothers and sisters swaying in the current. A small brightly colored fish darted around an orange soft looking anemone, nibbling at the nearby rocks for food scraps. Kanan gazed around with her mouth hanging open in a wide smile as a Sea Turtle swirled around them.

"What are you waiting for?" Mari joyously encouraged. "Come on, let's go!~"

Kanan eagerly swam after her again, entranced by the beauty of the ocean around her as the lights continued to dance to the sound of a faraway joyous medley. That was the last thing Kanan remembered about her dream before waking up.

* * *

Kanan's eyes fluttered as she awoke to see the familiar ceiling of her bedroom. She put her hand in front of her face as she was blinded by the bright light of sunrise through her window. She sat up and yawned with a stretch of her arms. Hopping out of bed, she got herself dressed in no time flat. Heading into her kitchen she began to make herself breakfast.

" _Now that I think about it, that song I heard in my dream...wait, I know what it was! How could I ever forget?"_

Kanan popped open a cabinet full of CDs from a shelf above the kitchen counter. She picked out one case without the piece of paper that used to fit in the front. All that was inside the clear case was a simple CD. Written on the cover was the song's name, now faded a bit from time. Kanan didn't even need to read the Kanji to know the name of the song by heart: "Sakana ka Nanda Ka?" She popped open the top of a CD player she had sitting on the counter and put it into the slot on the front. The thing began to click as it set itself. Soon the kitchen was filled with the smooth sound of Jazz. Kanan shook her hips to the beat of the music as she made her way around to get herself a bowl of cereal. She rhythmically danced with the milk bottle over her head as she pulled it out of the fridge. The song was sung by a woman with a voice she didn't know how to really put to words. She had a sort of accent but was still definitely a native Japanese speaker. The song bubbled with passion and devotion, something Kanan could tell was made by a spirit who was truly devoted to the ocean. She never met the songwriter, but it was something she could tell nonetheless from her intuition. Sitting outside on her deck, she gazed out at the sea glistening under the morning sun. The soft spectacle of colors dancing along the water's surface reminded her of the dream she had.

" _What a vivid dream...that's the kind of thing I expected to dream if I was all drugged up or something. I usually don't remember my dreams, so why would that of all things stick around? Ah well, what happens happens."_

After finishing her breakfast, Kanan went for a short jog along the seaside. The smell of the morning air mixing with the salty smell of the ocean wafted past her with the twists and turns of the coastline. She waved to a passing biker as she paused the top of a large hill. She took the moment to look out over the bay with a smile across her face.

"What a perfect morning! It's so nice to have a break from all the nonsense for once."

* * *

Kanan traced the wall with her hand as she headed into the dark empty studio.

" _It's been empty for so long."_ Kanan thought to herself as she gazed into the darkness. " _Ever since Dia's incident, none of us have even come here. I wonder how Karla's doing? I'm sure she's got a lot on her mind."_

Flipping the switch made the lights buzz to life. She spent the next few minutes getting settled in, putting her stuff in her room and plopping down in her chair in the conference room.

" _What a waste we have to spend such a great morning indoors. Maybe we should move from this dusty studio elsewhere. Nothing wrong with a little change of pace after all. I'd hate to put those poor workers through the trauma of being under Dia's authority again though…"_

Hearing movement, Kanan turned to look at the doorway. Slipping in the door was Karla with a two fingered salute in greeting. It was vaguely like You's "yousoro" but she flicked her fingers out afterward.

"Long time no see Kanan! What's up?"

"Here early as usual?"

"Not like I had anything else to do this morning. This job is really all I do during the day anyway."

"Now might be as good a time as any to try getting some sort of hobby." Kanan suggested. "We still have plenty of time before the end of the hiatus. What have you got to lose?"

Karla hesitated, plopping down in a nearby seat with a sigh. Before Karla could give an answer, an odd sound of footsteps and another strange noise accompanying it came from the entrance. Kanan stood up to investigate.

"Dia!? Are you sure you're ok to be here yet?"

"I still have a crutch you know." Dia reassured with a friendly smile. "Not to mention Ruby here to help me get around."

Dia had one arm over Ruby's shoulder and Ruby did so in vice versa. Her other hand was on a crutch to help her get used to her new robotic leg. Ruby glanced over at Dia with a gleeful smile.

"Mari said that we'd be discussing our next step forward today, right?"

"That's right, Ruby." Kanan confirmed. "Or at least I hope so. Hopefully Mari isn't going to do some wacky idea again."

"Look how well her last idea turned out." Karla burst in sarcastically. She shuffled awkwardly in her seat when met with the stern look on Kanan's face.

"...That joke was in poor taste, sorry."

A few minutes later, the once second-years arrived, the last ones to arrive in fact. With everyone gathered together, Mari went to the front of the room. She slapped a dry erase marker against the whiteboard and stood upright with a gleeful smile on her face.

"Alright everyone! Repeat after me! I!"

"I!" Everyone responded playfully.

"T!"

"T!" Everyone echoed.

"S!"

"S?" Everyone responded in mild confusion.

"J!"

"J." Everyone responded with unamused looks.

"O!"

"O." Everyone responded in monotone voices.

"K!"

"K…" Everyone half-mumbled.

"E! What does that spell?"

The room was completely silent, an audience of unamused stares directed at Mari.

"It's joke!~" Mari finished, clapping her hands above her head. "Thank you for being such a lovely audience!"

You groaned and put her head in her palm.

"Now then, let's get to the topic at hand!" Mari continued, fiddling with the pen in her hands. "Since we still have around another two months until we get back to the idol business, I think now would be a lovely time to do some things we normally wouldn't get the chance to!"

"I thought we already established that." Dia asserted. "Is there something you have in mind?"

"Well, how about tonight we go and have a party at my mansion to talk about it! I have all sorts of ideas for fun things to do! Karla can tag along too if she wants!"

Karla waved her hands bashfully in front of her.

"No, no, I couldn't possibly intrude. Besides, the other girls aren't coming either. I'd just be the third wheel."

"The other girls aren't coming because they're on paid leave for the absence. You're a special case!"

" _Wait, why are the people I'm responsible for on paid leave but not me!?"_ Karla complained internally.

"Come on, it'll give you a chance to grow closer to us all." Yoshiko reassured. Karla sighed with a slight smile, throwing her arms behind her head to rest on.

"Fine. I give. Just don't complain if I'm too much of an asshole." She joked.

"Perfecto!~" Mari celebrated with another clapping of hands. The moment was cut short with the ringing of You's cell phone.

"Ah! Hold on, let me take this." You apologized, jogging out of the room and into the main studio to answer the call.

"What time do you think we should meet? 6:00? 7:00?" Riko pondered.

"It's only mid-morning now." Hanamaru pointed out. "We could meet up around noon at the earliest. All that time waiting would eat me up with excitement, zura…"

"You sure you wouldn't be the one eating the excitement?" Yoshiko teased.

"Yoshiko-chan, that doesn't even make sense, zura."

"Yohane."

"We're free whenever." Dia affirmed. "A mechanical leg isn't nearly enough to slow down my schedule."

"I don't have any objections either." Riko added in. "I think we're all in agreement unless You has something to say."

I'm sure the call won't last much longer." Chika chimed in. "We just have to wa-"

Chika was interrupted at the sound of excited squeals from the studio's big room. Everyone turned to the doorway as You burst in with eyes aflame with excitement. She was bouncing up and down as she tried to contain herself.

"You're not going to believe this! I'm going to travel to the Mediterranean to do research diving!"

"Aw, lucky!" Kanan half-pouted, half-congratulated. "I wish I could go."

"That's the thing Kanan! They asked for you to come along by name!"

Kanan sat in awe for a few moments. She blinked rapidly 3 times before allowing a giddy smile to cross her face.

"You, where did you even get the opportunity to do this!?"

"Well you see, there's a research organization on the southern tip of Spain. It's right near the gap between Africa and Europe. Since that passageway allows many marine species in and out, it's a perfect place to study migratory animals. They want me to help do research on the local sea turtle population, well, me AND you anyway."

"Why me though?" Kanan pondered. "If there's any type of study you'd think I'd be a part of it would be dolphins. I don't dislike turtles or anything, but it seems like an odd choice."

"I'll fill you in on the details later." You explained. "For now, did we all decide on a time?"

"Noon if it's fine with you." Chika informed.

"Oh, noon? Heck yeah that's fine! The sooner the better! I'll stay behind with Kanan to discuss the trip, the rest of you go on ahead and get ready."

A collective ok came from the group as they stood up. Kanan leaned against the wall as she waited for the room to become private. Once it was quiet, You popped out her phone and looked through some information she had on hand.

"The research center was looking for applicants to help with the project, and from my history of research I was the lucky winner. From the sound of it, when they realized I was part of Aqours they asked for you to come along as well. For what reason I can't be sure. All I know is that you were requested by the lead director."

"The lead director you say? What's their name?"

"Her name isn't very Spanish since she's actually a native Japanese woman. I assume that someone she knows is a fan of you, that or she herself is. It says here her name is...Kazuna. Kazuna Iketai."

"Did she...really go by her maiden name?"

"H-Huh?" You paused. "She's pretty famous but...how do you know if that's her maiden name?"

"Because I know her by a different name." Kanan confessed, pausing. "The name I know her by is...Kazuna Matsuura."

* * *

"You sure you can stay late today? I wouldn't want you to miss your flight." Riko asked with concern.

"No worries, Mari said she'd drive me home around 8. I can stay until then." Kanan reassured.

"You's taking you somewhere, correct? The Mediterranean, right?"

"Yeah, in southern Spain. My flight doesn't leave until about noontime, so I'll have plenty of time to pack tonight and get to the airport on time."

Moving to the main guest room, Kanan could see that everyone was already all over the couches. Seeing them walk in, Mari waved them over with a bright smile.

"Come in! Come in! We're just about to start a little game!~"

"A game you say? What kind of game?" Kanan asked as she looked around the room for anything out of the ordinary.

"It's not a board game, silly!" Mari corrected, drawing Kanan's attention back to her. "We decided that Karla should do some question games with us to help act as icebreakers!"

"Oh, you mean like stories or secrets?"

"Bingo!~ ...well, not stories per say but definitely secrets!"

"Are you sure jumping to personal secrets is really an icebreaker?" Kanan sceptically asked.

"It doesn't have to be super super super SUPER secret!" Mari assured. "It can be things like a first crush or one super embarrassing thing that happened to you."

"Mari, I'm not sure how you see that as not personal…"

"We all said we're fine with it!" Chika chimed in. "If it gets too personal we can always just say we're not comfortable sharing."

Kanan let out a mild sigh.

"If you're sure, fine."

""Eyaaaay!~" Mari said with excitement as she placed a small spinner in the center of the table. "Gather around everyone! Whoever the spinner lands on will have to tell a secret! If you refuse to answer you're out of the game! Once we get to the last two people, that's when the real fun starts! Can't think of a secret within 30 seconds you lose! Aaaaaand go!~"

Mari spun the spinner out of nowhere, causing everyone to scramble towards the table.

"Hey, at least alert us before you start!" You complained.

Mari simply smiled it off. The spinner stopped just as Yoshiko splatted onto the ground in front of the table.

"Nice footwork, zura." Hanamaru commented sarcastically. Yoshiko sat up and groaned, looking at the spinner pointed at her.

"Me first? Of course it is. Alright...I guess I have no choice but to reveal my deepest secret. You see...I'm-"

"If you say something about being a fallen angel I'll kick you out of this game." Hanamaru warned.

Yoshiko paused for a second, staring blankly at the spinner with a twitching lip. Hanamaru stared at her with a firm judging stare. Yoshiko flopped backward.

"Fooie."

Kanan scooched into Yoshiko's position as the little fallen angel pouted in the corner of the room. With another flick of the spinner, it landed on Riko.

"Oh my! Uh...secret...secret…"

Riko twiddled her fingers and stared off into space as she attempted to come up with an idea.

"Um...aha! I have the entire collection of the "Flowers in the Wind" series!"

"How many volumes are in that?" Karla probed. "I heard it's a pretty short but rare series!"

"There's 7 of them. It took me an eternity to track them all down."

Karla cracked a grin. "You know Riko, the series only had 6 main books. The 7th was a Valentine's Day special release. It was special because it doubled as a-"

Riko went bright red and waved her hands frantically.

"Y-You don't need to share anymore!"

You couldn't help but giggle. Riko spun around to her.

"You're laughing!?" She blurted out in embarrassment.

Settling down, You gave a shot at spinning the wheel. It landed on Karla.

"Hey, it landed on Karla! Now's your perfect time to-"

"I killed a man."

Everyone sat in silence with horrified looks.

"What, you really believed that? I can't believe you're all that gullible."

"S-So...you didn't actually-" Ruby stammered fearfully.

"Of course not! If you want my real secret, it's that I usually avoid making jokes 'cause my sense of humor is usually too dark for people. This I feel proves that case and point."

A collective sigh came from the group.

"You wonder why I suggest against me joining these things." Karla complained as she gave the spinner a hard spin.

"Whoa! You spin it really fast!" Chika observed, sitting up from her seat to watch it spin around. After a good 12 seconds or so, the little arrow came to rest in front of Kanan. She reacted by putting her head in hand and puzzling visibly with a bit of jaw movement.

" _What kind of secret can I give? I've told almost everything about me to Chika, You and Mari. I could tell them about...no, that's a complicated matter. I don't want to get family matters involved with this. Maybe…"_

"Time's ticking, zura." Hanamaru alerted. "It doesn't need to be anything big, just whatever comes to mind."

"Well...I guess there's one thing...but you all probably know it."

"Everyone knew what Yoshiko was going to say, I don't think it'll be a problem."

"Yohane! And why am I your example!? You kicked me out!"

"Nothing you need to worry about, zura."

Yoshiko went back to pouting.

"Alright, I guess it'll have to do. You see, I…"

Kanan paused for a moment, holding her hands tightly.

"I'm...well...a lesbian."

Mari's heart skipped a beat. She almost started to stare at Kanan but forced herself not to. She looked down at her own hands and began to fidget.

"Les...be...in? What's that?" Chika asked aloud, her sentient hair bouncing in reaction.

"Wait, you're serious? You really don't know!?" Riko turned in surprise. "How don't you know?"

"Ooooh, is it some slang? Yo yo yo, les be in, dawg!" Chika parodied, flashing peace signs like some budget rapper stereotype.

"That's...not even close." Riko corrected. "It's more like...when two girls really really love each other."

"Hmm...hey I know! I really love girls! Hey You, let's be lesbians together! Doesn't that sound fun?"

Karla burst out laughing and You backed up a bit, red as a beat.

"It's not quite...er…" You stammered. Riko tapped Chika's shoulder and whispered in her ear. Chika turned red after a matter of seconds, her sentient hair shooting straight up.

"Aaah! I didn't mean it like that!" She told in a flustered voice, waving her hands in front of her. You was covering her face in equal embarrassment.

"I-It's fine Chika…"

Kanan giggled silently to herself, noticing Mari having a strange lack of reaction. Kanan couldn't help but stare a bit.

"Alright then, let's keep the game going. Chika, you spin next." Riko motioned.

"Yeah, yeah…"

* * *

"You know Mari, I'm glad we got to spend some time together before I left on my trip. Sorry if you had plans for us over the break, I'd hate to be a let down."

"No, no, it's not a problem. Experiences like that are only once in a lifetime, I want you to take the chance while you have it!"

"Thanks Mari...actually double thank you."

"Double?"

"For also driving me home."

"Oh! Well of course. It also means I get to show off my car daddy bought for me as a birthday gift!"

"Lemme guess, something super expensive?"

"Not really. I'm not a motorhead so I just wanted something cool that goes vroom."

"I guess that's fair. I wonder what type of ca-"

Kanan cut herself off as Mari opened the door to her garage. Standing before her was the before mentioned "something cool".

"Mari what do you mean it's not much, isn't that a freaking Mclaren!?"

"Daddy said it has the record speed of any car in the world. I didn't care for expensive so I opted for fast!"

Kanan sighed heavily as she headed to the passenger door. She was completely lost for words and at the same time 100% expecting it.

"There's never a dull moment with you is there?"

* * *

The ride back was surprisingly smooth. It was also surprisingly silent. Mari's silence was beginning to worry Kanan, so she tried thinking up conversations in her head to no avail. Finally she gave in and just decided to be blunt.

"Mari, something's bothering you isn't it?"

"Hmm? Like what?"

"Well...it's just you've been quiet for most of tonight. More than usual. It's kinda off putting."

"You think so? I dunno what you think I'd be upset over."

"You were fine as usual until the game we started when I got there. It was when I well...came out. To you all."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You know as well as I do that I'm not the kind of person to judge that kind of thing! How could I ever treat you differently?"

"Then what's got you worked up?"

"..."

"Mari I can't tell what's wrong if you don't tell me!"

"I'm...I'm sorry, I'll tell you when the time is right."

Kanan nodded and turned to the window to gaze out. Staring out at the trees to her side, Kanan's thoughts drifted off into the night. Her attention was brought back by a little flash in the rearview mirror. She turned her head in the direction of the mirror just in time to see a headlight pop into view. Kanan yelped as Mari's car suddenly swerved to the side as the car zoomed by on Kanan's side. After a few seconds, Mari's car had stabilized.

"What the hell was that!? What maniac drives that close to the side?"

"They...passed me."

"Some people are such jerks. They could've seriously hurt-"

"Bastard…"

Kanan stopped her complaining when she saw the strangely serious look on Mari's face. That's when she started to feel the car accelerating.

"M-Mari, you're not going to race it are you!?"

"You think your puny market car is gonna beat me in a street race? You don't stand a chance, not when I'm behind the wheel of a Mclaren P1, the fastest car in the world!"

The engine vroomed to life as Mari continued to step on the gas. Kanan held onto her seat fearfully as the Gs started to kick in.

"M-M-Mari! Slow down! You're scaring me!"

"Here comes the first corner. Grab onto something tight."

" _I-It's no use! She's completely focused!"_ Kanan thought in panic. " _Someone please end this nightmare!"_

Coming up on the first corner, Mari drifted the car behind the little car in front which surprisingly also performed a drift.

"That drift...they're only a few centimeters from the guardrail!" Mari analyzed in astoundment. "This person's good...but no clunker like that can possibly hope to outpace me!"

As the path straightened out, Mari stomped down harder on the gas to make the engine roar.

"A straightaway! My perfect chance!" Mari gleefully announced as she floored it past the little car tailing them. The car behind started to lose ground as Mari sped down the road.

"How do you like that? Enjoy the taste of pavement!"

"Mari slow down for god's sake! You passed them, hooray, now GET ME OUT OF THIS THING!"

As the car speed around the next corner, Kanan glanced at her rear view mirror to see the opposing car drifting back towards them. By the end of the turn, they were right back behind them.

"W-What!?" Mari gasped in response. "How did they catch up all that ground in the corners!?"

The two girls were sweating bullets, each for their own reason. Mari grit her teeth as she attempted to speed up in another stretch of road.

"Dammit! The straightaway is too short! I can't get a lead at all!"

As they came to the next turn, a loud metallic smash was heard behind them. Kanan looked in her rear view mirror to see the car driving by her side once again.

"W-What the-!?" Kanan sputtered out. "How are they driving like that!? That shouldn't even be on the road!"

The car zoomed by the Mclaren at lightning speeds, giving Kanan just enough time to see a vague silhouette of the driver as it zoomed by.

"They...They used the gutter!?" Kanan announced in shock as the car popped back up and raced off into the night.

"I won't let you get away!"

Mari floored it around the corner in pursuit, but once they rounded the corner the little clunker was nowhere in sight. They kept after it for a few turns in awe before Mari finally started to slow down.

"How in the...how did they outspeed me!?" Mari asked in bewilderment. "What are they, a big name professional or something?"

"I managed to get a glimpse of them as they passed us the second time. They didn't look old at all!"

"You can't be serious, who could pull off that level of drifting at such a young age!?"

"Beats me, but I did figure out something else."

"Hmm? What is it Kanan?"

"You are never taking me driving in this car ever again."

* * *

Kanan popped open the door of Mari's Mclaren and stood up in a massive stretch. Mari followed suit, jogging around to Kanan's side.

"Alright, I guess this is it. Thank you again for driving me."

"My pleasure!~ Besides, I got to show off my awesome new ride!"

"You never change, Mari." Kanan giggled. "I'll make sure to make up for the time lost when I get back."

Kanan gave Mari a friendly hug before jogging towards her front door.

"See ya!"

Just as she reached for the door handle, Mari spoke up last second.

"I didn't...make you uncomfortable...did I?"

"Huh? I mean, the car ride was a bit scary to be honest but I'd hold it against-"

"No, not that at all. I mean, all those times I fooled around with you. You know, the kind of stuff you'd say "I'll sue you" in response to. I really had no idea you-"

"Mari."

"Y-Yes?"

"Is that really what had you so worried? Me being lesbian has no effect on any of that stuff, it's just part of who you are. It's another part of you that I treasure, as silly as that sounds."

Mari hunched her shoulders and glanced off with an embarrassed smile.

"T-That's a relief…"

"Nothing is going to change between us just because I came out. You're my most treasured friend and I would never abandon you."

"Most treasured friend? Don't let Dia hear that!" Mari teased. Kanan laughed a bit in response before turning halfway back towards the door.

"I'll see you in a couple of weeks. Feel free to text me about whatever comes to mind, if I'm not too busy I'll keep up as best I can!"

Mari waved goodbye one last time as Kanan entered her front door. Mari walked back around the car with a face flushed red.

" _Most...treasured friend...I wonder if I...no. Don't be crazy, Mari."_

Kanan walked back to her bed and sat down on the edge with her wrists on her knees. She held her head in her hands while staring out of her window as she heard the sound of Mari's car growling off into the night. She exhaled through her nose heavily.

" _Why does she want to see me now? Why did she use her maiden name? I've got so many questions I can hardly think of what I want to say first when I meet her."_

She walked out of her room and went to an old shelf put against the wall of the living room. She gazed at an old picture of her mother and father smiling happily for a photo. Kanan was there too as a baby, in her mother's arms wrapped in a blanket. Kanan held it in her hands for who knows how long, gazing at her mother's image.

" _Mom...why didn't you ever come home? All I wanted was to see you once in a while…"_


	18. Chapter 18: Mother

Chapter 18: Mother

You sat on the edge of her seat, giddy as the engines of the plane roared to life. She plastered her face to the window as it gradually started to roll down the runway.

"We're finally moving! Kanan, take a look!" She said for a moment as she turned her head back. Kanan turned and gave a slight smile before eventually staring out the window blankly. You was too fascinated to pay attention to Kanan at all.

"Wow, this plane sure is loud! I don't know about you but I always find the takeoff exhilarating!"

"Mmm."

"Kanan? Is something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, no. It's nothing. I just have a lot of things on my mind."

You gave a reassuring smile. "I'm sure it'll be fine. She asked for you specifically after all."

"I'm still processing everything, it's not every day that something of this magnitude happens to people."

"I guess we'll find out when we get there, won't we?"

Kanan exhaled heavily through her nose before returning to a blank stare at the seat in front of her. No conversation was made throughout the rest of the ascent, instead the cabin was left in an awkward silence.

" _Why would she want me over there now? Why the maiden name in the publication? If she didn't want to be with our family, why hasn't she broken it off by now? Is she coming over there to work out a divorce? Is she trying to get custody of me? I want to have good faith in my own mother...of course I do...but I'm so conflicted I-"_

"Miss?"

Kanan snapped out of her internal ramble and looked up at the stewardess.

"O-Oh! Sorry, I was lost in thought. Do you need something?"

"We're handing out snacks. Is there anything you would like to buy?"

"No thank you, I'm all set."

"And you miss?"

"I'm fine too, thank you. I ate before I left." You politely declined with a wave of a hand. The stewardess nodded and continued down the aisle.

"You can share your thoughts with me too you know." You said quickly while Kanan's attention was still available. "Working yourself up without telling anyone else is only going to make things worse. Please, just let me know too!"

"I...I'm sorry. This is a bit too personal. I'd rather not discuss it in public."

"It's just an airplane. Nobody's gonna mind."

Kanan drummed her fingers on her arm. Her expression hardened.

"I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

"Eh?"

"I'm keeping to myself. Even when I shouldn't. Remember back then? When I first made up with Mari?"

"How couldn't I?"

Kanan smirked slightly for a second with a quick "Hmm" before leaning back in her chair and glancing towards the window.

"I didn't want Mari to miss the chance to study abroad and fulfill her career, but I failed to communicate that to her. She wanted to help me dance freely again like I always had, to live without regret in my heart. She couldn't get that across either. I deserved every bit of that slap."

Kanan rubbed her cheek as if remembering the sensation caused it to manifest.

"Sometimes I'm too headstrong for my own good. I get an idea in my head and then that's it. Mari was the first person to ever break that self-destructive trait. It has good sides, especially when it comes to studying for big tests, but not so much for social situations. Whenever I would follow some bullheaded choice of mine, she'd be there to drive me down the right path no matter how persistent I was. She's got her little finger wrapped around me."

You couldn't help but notice the big grin on Kanan's face. It made You get a smile of her own too.

"I wonder what Mari would say to me now…" Kanan thought aloud.

"Probably something along the lines of "Non, non, non!" with a wag of a finger." You joked, acting out the impression further.

"Hey, that was actually pretty good!"

"There's nobody quite like Mari is there?"

"She's something else." Kanan sighed in agreement. "I really owe her some one on one time once I get back."

"I can be your substitute Mari for the trip." You joked.

"You can try, but that's quite a big role."

"Oh, it can't be so hard! I still wuv being around my precious Kanan-chan!~" You mimicked as she gave Kanan a half hug half grope the same way Mari would normally.

"I'll sue you."

The two girls began to giggle uncontrollably to themselves.

"I-Is there a problem here?" The flight attendant asked in mild confusion.

"No, no, we're just fine." Kanan reassured her.

* * *

Kanan glanced at the closed window as she mindlessly drifted her eyes around the plane. You quietly snuggled with her carry on pillow in a deep sleep, breathing lightly but not loud enough to disturb Kanan. It was a night flight so the plane had all the interior lights shut off. Nothing but the slow gentle drone of the plane's engine could be heard amidst the deafening silence.

" _Why am I even still awake? I should be trying to sleep."_ Kanan ridiculed herself. " _I've got a busy day tomorrow and I doubt it'll be any less easy on the mind as today. All this anticipation is eating me up."_

Kanan continued to space out for several minutes more. Eventually, her eyes drifted to You. Her eyes opened slightly as she noticed that there was tears in her eyes. Her lip would quiver slightly from time to time, most likely caused by a bad dream.

Kanan's attention focused as You started to mumble in her sleep.

"D...ad...dy…"

Kanan felt a pang of sudden guilt. A part of her felt sick to her stomach.

" _I'm here worried about what my mother is going to say...at least I'm lucky enough to still have both my parents. In body we compete just fine, but in mind she's a light year ahead of me. I can only imagine what kind of trauma she's had to endure. I've missed her, but at least I knew she was still out there somewhere. I knew she was still a part of my family. You's father was her idol...someone irreplaceable to her. I've seen firsthand how broken she was. I need to stop sitting and worrying and actually do something for once."_

Kanan lightly stroked the top of You's head with her nearest hand. You began to smile lightly as she began to sleep soundly again. Kanan smiled at her too as determination began to well up from within.

" _I'm a grown woman now. I can't just sit around and mope all day. Whatever it is I'll find in Italy, I'll make it right!_

* * *

After touchdown it was a long process to get through customs and get all the way to the rental car dealership. Neither of them knew Italian, but there were several translators at the dealership because of a high influx of foreign customers. Kanan rubbed her hands up and down her arms to help keep warm in the cool autumn air.

"Why'd I decide to wear a t-shirt? It was so much warmer back in Japan." Kanan complained quietly to herself. You finished up the registration before walking back over to Kanan with a car key.

"Alright, we got our car! They were nice enough to drive the car out front, so all we need to do is hop in and head over to the research building!"

"Ugh, finally. This cold is killing me."

The two of them went out front to find their rental car. It was a light blue color and although it lacked in general size it looked and sounded in good condition. As Kanan opened the car door, she realized she wasn't on the passenger side but the driver's side. She plopped down in the seat anyway, touching the steering wheel a moment before pulling back her hand.

"Ack!" She exclaimed as she shook her hand. "It's freezing!"

A man in a plain white shirt handed her a pair of gloves. He said something in Spanish, to which the translator replied "He says to use those gloves for holding the steering wheel."

"Ah! Thank you very much!" Kanan thanked as she put them on and buckled herself in. The gloves were a thin leather and had individual fingers, so she was able to drive fine without freezing her hands to death in the process.

"Ok...so I go on...this side of the road? Right?"

"Yeah, that side."

Kanan pulled out onto the street, awkwardly assessing the street in front of her.

"Ugh, I'm not used to driving on the right side of the road…"

Despite her initial complaints, Kanan managed to get a good handle on driving in the other lane. It was only a short 20 minute drive from the airport to reach the research center. It was right by the ocean, but both girls already knew ahead of time.

"I can smell the ocean...we're almost there." Kanan said as she began to mentally prepare herself.

"I wonder if we can go swimming today." You pondered excitedly. "I can't wait to see what kinds of animals will be going through the strait!"

"It's a shame we're only going to be here for a month or so. I'd love to stay here for 3 like we did on that trip to the Great Barrier Reef a year back."

"The water was a lot warmer than it'll be here though. Not that it really matters. It's probably no cooler than back home."

"With all the ocean currents, it might be a couple degrees cooler. I'm sure lots of algae love this place."

"The turtles probably like it more if that's the case." You joked. Her eyes lifted as she focused in on a large white building at the end of the road. The parking lot out front was a decent size, with parking spaces on the sides and middle of the lot. Most of the lot was empty, the only other vehicles being a few cars and vans belonging to employees or the business itself. The vans were painted white and bore the same logo on their sides as the building. The center's logo was a large red circle with a turtle of the same color swimming across the middle. White lines around the edge of the turtle let it stand out against the similarly colored edge. Below it read the name in darker blue letters.

"Iketai Oceanographic Institute." Kanan read aloud.

"Was it always called that?" You queried.

"No idea. Mom never specified. At least, not that I know of. My dad might know, but if he does he definitely hasn't told me."

A small garden of flowers sat next to the parking lot behind a small white fence. All the flowers seemed to have withered away due to the fall weather, a few scraggly roots being all that sprung out. A small deck level with the pavement led to the entrance and wrapped around the side of the building. It was made of concrete and painted white with a sloppy paint job that left a collection of bubbles along the part that met the wall. A small wooden bench with a metal frame sat by the door, most likely meant to enjoy the view of the flowers come springtime. A small overhang stretched out a few meters from the building itself, starting where the concrete merged with the pavement. Kanan stepped forward and rang the small circular door knob next to the door. Kanan took a step back and swallowed nervously.

" _This is it…"_ Kanan thought in anticipation. " _Be strong. She's just your mother, not some monster."_

The seconds felt like minutes, but soon enough the handle started to turn. A figure within the doorway gently opened the door. The figure turned out to be a scrawny man in glasses. He took a nervous step back when he saw the unconsciously aggressive look on Kanan's face.

"H-Hello?" He stammered. "I'm sorry but we only do tours on Wednesdays…"

When Kanan realized her fierce expression, she snapped out of it and waved her hands in front of her apologetically.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you! My nerves got the best of me."

"No, no, it's quite alright. My name is Nathaniel, you can call me Nate for short. I help manage the workload of this institute's owner. Are you familiar with her?"

"You could say that, yes. You see, I-"

"You're here!" Came a cheery voice from behind the door. Jogging out of nowhere and jumping at Kanan in a tackle hug came a tall woman with an infectious smile.

"Oh my how you've grown! I remember when you were barely up to my ankles, the little thing! Now you're all grown up! You look so mature!"

"Mom...you're...really tall."

"Just shy of 5 foot 7!"

"5 foot 7?" You asked puzzled. "How tall is that in centimeters?"

"About 173 and a half, give or take." Kazuna replied with a broad smile.

"Really!?" You responded in surprise. "Japanese tend to have shorter heights than people of other countries or nationalities, but you're a giant in comparison!"

"What, you think Kanan got her body from her dad?" Kazuna joked. "What was your height last you measured it?"

"Last I measured...162 cm?"

"I'm only off by a matter of 5…" You sighed. "Imagine how Ruby would've felt compared to Kazuna. She'd be dwarfed."

"Ah, is she one of your school idol friends?" Kazuna asked with her hands together. "I'm so glad you could make lots of great friends!"

Kanan's expression still remained conflicted. Kazuna sighed and put on a more sympathetic smile.

"I'm sorry for calling you out here without any warning. I must've put you through a lot…"

"I...I need to ask you some questions. Can we discuss it inside where it's not freezing?"

"By all means, come right on in!"

Nathaniel led the girls after Kazuna into the laboratory. Several small rooms lined the hallway, a short glance inside showing desks of microscopes, charts, fish tanks and the like. A big blue door with clear wear to its hinge led into a larger room. A few large circular tanks sat within.

"This is our special tanks for animals that we have our focus on. You're going to help with this fella right here." Kazuna explained with a hand gesture towards one specific tank. You and Kanan glanced over the lip of the tank to see an injured turtle with scratches and scars across its shell. You gasped and pointed at one side of the unfortunate animal.

"Its right flipper! It's completely missing!" You commented in sad astonishment.

"She got hit by a boat on her way out of the bay. She was in critical condition, it's frankly a miracle she lived through the surgery."

"Poor thing…" Kanan mumbled to herself.

"Her name's Milagro. If you like you can feed her a bit of Lettuce for her lunch. I'll get you both some fresh leaves to feed her."

Kazuna rushed off to another room while the girls sat and looked with pity at Milagro.

"Look at the way she's swimming." You observed. "She's struggling to stay afloat without her flipper. She probably has difficulty breathing if she can't keep her head afloat."

"Won't she drown if this keeps up?" Kanan asked Nate out of concern.

"We have a special net on that side of the pool." He explained, pointing to a blue woven cradle on one end of the tank. "It keeps her head above water when she sleeps. It's not the greatest tool to help her, but her hospitalization was so sudden that we barely had the time to order her prosthetic fin. It's currently still in shipment, so we have to work with what we got."

"How long until the flipper arrives?" You asked.

"We still have a few days. There isn't many suppliers around here, so it takes a lot of time and effort to get one of these things made. It also has to fit right. Too loose and it'll come off. Too tight and it'll irritate the animal possibly to the point they'll try to rip it off. We had a real stubborn loggerhead a year back, got so fed up with it he tore it apart. It got so damaged that we had no choice but to scrap it because we were worried it might bite off and swallow a piece and choke itself."

"Did it survive?"

"Thankfully, yes. We're still tracking him to this day by tags. Toro isn't going to let up, I can assure you. Apparently he fought off an adult male Leatherback once."

"But Leatherbacks are huge!" You gasped in astoundment. "That's one feisty fella!"

"That name...Toro...isn't that Spanish?" Kanan deduced.

"Yep, it means "Bull". We called him that cause he's a stubborn brute who'll fight a shark if he wanted to. All the animals here get different names in Spanish."

"So Milagro…"

"It's Spanish for "miracle". Everyone here's hoping for her recovery. I have to admit, even I've become more attached to her than the other turtles we usually help."

"Miracle, huh?"

Milagro swam over to the net and after a bit of struggle managed to pull herself up onto the cradle. Kazuna reappeared from the other room with two large leaves of lettuce. She handed one leaf to each of the girls.

"Just put the leaves by her head. She'll nibble away at it bit by bit."

"Kanan, you can go first if you'd like." You offered. Kanan wanted to be polite and decline, but she was admittedly too excited not to. She moved the leaf towards Milagro's head, keeping it steady as not to scare her.

"It's ok. It's nice and fresh."

Milagro moved her head closer and began to nibble bit by bit at the lettuce. A smile grew across Kanan's face in response.

" _Don't worry, I'll get you swimming again in no time. It's a promise!"_

* * *

Following on foot, Kanan and You brought their stuff as they tailed behind Kazuna. The afternoon sun setting over the bay bore down on their backs, casting a bright orange light across the landscape. The house that You and Kanan would be staying in was so close to the center that it would hardly be worth it to drive there. Despite the sunlight, Kanan could make out that the color of the home was identical to the research center.

" _Undoubtedly intentional."_ Kanan deduced.

Kazuna took two keys out of her pocket and unlocked the door with one. After opening the front door, she turned to the two girls and handed them each a key.

"This'll get you into the house. You each get a copy, so keep it with you or in a safe place."

"Thank you very much!" You thanked as she skipped inside. "Wow, the wood floors look nice and polished!"

"That's because we cleaned this place up to tip top shape for you two before you arrived. Couldn't do any less for my daughter and her friend!"

"..."

"I'm gonna go unpack and leave you two to catch up a bit." You commented, sensing the mood. She ran into the building with a gentle rumble of her suitcase on the hard wooden floor. When You was out of sight and earshot, Kanan finally spoke up.

"I need to know something. Why do you still go by Iketai?"

"Why not? I always used to use it for my publications before I was married. I was so used to it that I just kept the name even after marriage."

"So that's it? You kept it just for the sake of it?"

"Kanan...you're not...mad at me are you?"

"It's complicated."

"So you are mad…"

"No, that's not it!" Kanan raised her voice irritably. She exhaled heavily as she calmed herself down. "Why didn't you call? Why didn't you send us stuff at Christmas? Why didn't you come home?"

"Ah...so that's why you seemed so on edge today."

"Mom, you can't seriously have thought I wouldn't have had any problem. The last time I saw you I wasn't even old enough to remember you! Do you have any idea how lonely I was? I did everything I could to make friends because that was the only connections I had aside from dad! Dad wasn't even able to play with me because of his work most of the time! All I want to know is why!"

"...I...I just…"

Kazuna couldn't seem to formulate the words to defend herself. She let her arms droop by her side in defeat.

"I have no excuse. I ran off to Spain because I couldn't stand being away from the research I loved. It was so expensive to do what I did that me and your father had to save up a massive sum of money for me to fly over. It took us 8 years to save up. I realized just how lonely your father would be...I never wanted to subject him to utter loneliness. That's when we decided to have a child. Someone to help remember me by and to help keep him company. I never even stopped to consider how lonely you would be. If you can't bring yourself to forgive me, that's fine. I understand. But...while you're here, I'd like to make amends."

"Only if you promise me one thing."

"Yes, of course. Anything you'd like, all you need to do is ask!"

"I want you...to come this Christmas."

"I'll...I'll try to save up the money to get a ticket home."

"No, a maybe isn't going to cut it. I want to hear it from you. Promise me, not as Kazuna Iketai but as Kazuna Matsuura, that you'll come home."

Kazuna paused for a few moments before looking Kanan in the eyes with a guilty but firm expression.

"I...I promise."


	19. Chapter 19: Amends

Chapter 19: Amends

"What? Aren't you coming along?" Kanan asked in audible surprise.

"I'm sorry to ask you to do this on your first assignment, but I have some paperwork to handle before I can do any field work. Nate will be with you to guide you through the steps. See you at lunch!"

Kanan reached out and stuttered as she tried to stop her mom, but she'd already hightailed it out of the room. Kanan dropped her arm and sighed.

"Can't she just save the paperwork for later?" Kanan complained. "For our first assignment, it would be nice if I was able to actually hang out with her. If she's gonna have me come halfway across the globe to see me, the least she can do is spend time with her own daughter."

"She's probably just busy." You tried to comfort. "Let's not ruin a good first day."

"Fine, fine…" Kanan reluctantly agreed. "Let's get going."

As Nate explained to them on the way to the changing rooms, they were going to spend the morning surveying a patch of ocean near the coastline. They wouldn't be actually going in the water, but Nate suggested wearing them just in case. There was a decent sized boat at the end of a dock, a small building nearby for changing and showering that was identical in color to the main building. Luckily there was more than one stall so You and Kanan were able to change at the same time. Once changed, the two of them walked down the dock to the small vessel with the same white color scheme as the building, logo and all.

" _It would be nice to see something other than white for once."_ Kanan complained internally. " _I can only imagine how hot it must get during the summer months."_

Nate waved to them from the boat, wearing a wardrobe malfunction of lime green swimming trunks and a floral shirt with a light blue base and purple flowers decorating it. He had a goofy smile of his face.

"We got all the equipment set up here! All you need do is hop aboard and we're off!"

You was giggling to herself as she looked at his clothing choice, to which he responded with a dopey confused look.

"W-Was it something I said?" He stammered.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." You apologized as she started to control her laughter. "It's just your outfit…"

"O-Outfit!? Aw, don't say that!"

"He's always got a terrible fashion sense." Came a voice approaching down the dock. "Thankfully he's got me around to set him straight."

Turning around, the two saw a young black woman in a light blue scuba suit. She struck a peace sign in greeting.

"The name's Shanna. I work here alongside that chucklenut over there. Feel free to ask me if you need some help with anything."

"Oh, yeah, sure." Kanan responded in visible surprise. "Sorry if I'm being a bit awkward, it's just...I've never actually met a black person in real life before."

"Well there's a first time for everything, right?" Shanna smiled cheerfully. "I'm sure it'll be nice to talk to someone who isn't a dude during your stay here."

"Aw come on!" Nate protested. "I'm not really that bad of company am I?"

"Your company isn't as bad as that shirt at least."

"Wha- but I like this shirt!"

The three girls laughed as they hopped on board the vessel. Nate went to the captain's chair, starting up the boat with a gentle rumble of the engine. The girls took their seats next to their respective swimming gear on the long benches that lined each side of the boat towards the stern. After launching out of port, Kanan turned her head back towards Shanna.

"Were you here yesterday? I didn't see you at all."

"I figured you might be jet lagged, so I decided to save introductions for when we were fully rested."

"Ugh, I wish I could say I feel fully rested." Kanan admitted as she gave her face a rub with her left hand. "I do feel a lot better than yesterday at the very least."

"Travel stress?"

"No, it's just...I had a lot on my mind. Regarding my mom."

"Kazuna has always been headstrong, and that's 6 years of experience with her talking. Once she gets an idea, there's little stopping her. She's a born explorer. If she could hop on a boat and travel around the world wherever she pleased, she'd take up the chance in a heartbeat."

"Kanan's been known to be a bit headstrong at times too." You added in. "It's not always a bad thing, but Mari's been there to set her straight."

"Mari?"

"Oh, that's my childhood friend. She's crazy rich, crazy enthusiastic and crazy...everything. We've been almost inseparable ever since we were children. I would keep her from taking things a bit too far and she'd drag me out of my stubborn ways when I needed it most."

"Kazuna sure could use someone like that." Shanna joked.

"Does she...ever talk about my dad?"

"Not really. Most of the time she's too absorbed in her work to give much else other than a simple "I wonder how they're doing." or whatever."

"Mmm." Kanan mumbled. Sensing the tension from her, Shanna changed the subject towards their morning job.

"We'll be surveying a small patch of coastline near the research center. Our radar will keep an eye on the creatures below so we don't accidentally hit anything swimming by. We also have a sensor to detect any of the tags we've put on the local turtles."

"Are we going swimming?" You cut in excitedly. "I'd love to see what the local fauna look like!"

"Well...we mostly use them in case we need to." Shanna admitted with a scratch of her head. "It's always good to be prepared, sorry if I got your hopes up."

"No, no, it's fine. Really." You reassured. "Work is work. I'm sure there's plenty of times we can go swimming while we're here."

Some time passed as they made their way along the coastline. It was hardly long until Nate made an excited gasp.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a turtle!"

"Where!? Where!?" You said excitedly, moving towards the radar up front. "I'm guessing the code next to the dot on the map is their ID number?"

"Yep! They should be coming up on the left, I'll slow down the boat." Nate explained as he pulled a lever that made the thunderous roar of the motor quiet to a gentle thumping. The girls ran to the side of the boat in excitement, looking at a reflective surface in the water. As the turtle came closer, You's excited smile faded to dismay as she saw it lying on its back with a massive gouge on it's side.

"Aw...looks like a predator must've got em." Shanna evaluated sadly. "Let's fish the body out of the water so we can determine what kind of predator got to them. Nate, can you run a check on the turtle's ID?"

"One step ahead of you. It's an old male Hawksbill by the name of Cuerpo."

"Cuerpo, huh?" Shanna repeated. "I dunno much about the name, but I think he's been around quite a while. Hey Kanan, mind grabbing that big net over there? We're gonna haul him onboard."

"W-We're taking onboard a turtle corpse?" Kanan stuttered. "Do we really need the body?"

"It's less the body and more the tag. Kazuna likes to recover as many tags as possible almost like memorabilia."

"That's...bizarre." You muttered to herself in mild confusion. Taking a big black net, Kanan leaned overboard and let the dead turtle float into her net. She lifted him out of the water and staggered backwards as she tried her best not to clonk anyone over the head. After successfully bringing it on board, she went forward to investigate. She took a step back upon smelling the terrible stench it gave off.

"Looks like he's been dead and decaying for a few days." Shanna analyzed.

"It does a bit more than look that way." Kanan complained as she pinched her nose tightly.

"Hmm...this wound looks like it was done by some sort of shark, probably a Tiger Shark based on the size."

"Wow, you can tell that just by looking at it?" You asked in astoundment.

"I've seen so many dead turtles on this job that you start to see patterns in their wounds or lack thereof." Shanna elaborated. "Call it intuition."

Nate opened up a small drawer near the steering wheel and handed Shanna a small device which she used to remove the tag. After removing the tag, Shanna tossed the corpse back overboard with her bare hands.

"Phew! That was a heavy one!" Shanna said while wiping the sweat off her forehead. "That was sure an interesting start to the day."

"Not to be a downer or anything…" Kanan began. "...but please tell me we're not just going to find turtle corpses all morning."

"Actually it's pretty uncommon to find a corpse lying around more than once a day. Most of the turtles we track either die farther in the Mediterranean or out at sea in the deep ocean. Looking at the tag, it seems this one was an older turtle too! There's not a single turtle before 98 that hasn't been either determined lost or dead. This turtle was number T116. Yo Nate, what's the tag info?"

"Looking at the numbers, this turtle died at the age of roughly 48 and was first recorded 13 years ago!" Nate announced astoundedly. "This was recorded within a year of her first starting up the center!"

"Wow, really? Kazuna could remember the names of the older turtles like they were her children! I bet she'll recognize the turtle from number alone!"

"Wow, is she really that diligent? I'd like to see for myself, you piqued my curiosity!" You asked with a spark of curiosity in her eyes.

"Trust me, if Kazuna wants to put effort into her work then she'll remember it no questions asked! That's just the kind of person she is." Shanna mused. Kanan turned her head away from the group so they wouldn't have to see her scowl.

* * *

"Lunch is heeeeere!" Kazuna called with a large paper bag in her hands. Placing the bag down on the table, Kazuna reached in and pulled out a sandwich wrapped in paper. Shanna, You and Kanan sat on one side of the table, Kazuna and Nate sitting on the opposite side. One end of the table had an amazing view of the ocean and the other an amazing view of a white wall. It was a small picnic table underneath an overhang on the ocean facing side of the building.

"This stuff is from the local sub shop! It's family owned, and they always make the most delicious sandwiches!" Kazuna rambled excitedly. "I got everyone the same thing to try, go on and dig in!"

"You do know that we already tried these before numerous times?" Nate complained. "I'd rather my usual, the chicken wheat wrap with lettuce and chipotle mayo. Trust me, it's heavenly."

"Chipotle is too spicy for me." Shanna added. "I much rather have mine without Mayo, Ketchup and all those condiments. Gives it a much softer taste."

"Man, there's nothing like a Bologna and tomato sandwich!" Kazuna said dreamily as she took a huge bite out of hers. "By the way, how was your first day out on the boat?"

"Well-" Kanan began, only to be cut off by You as she leaned forward and burst in.

"We found a dead turtle, but we also think that it's one you'll know the name of!"

"Go ahead, shoot!" Kazuna jumped forward like You did.

" _I can't believe they're getting so excited over a turtle corpse over lunch…"_ Kanan questioned, taking a nibble out of her sandwich.

"It was T116! You know the name?"

Kazuna sat back in her chair with a disappointed look on her face.

"Cuerpo finally kicked the bucket? Aw...I really wanted to see him surpass 50 years. Do you know what did him in?"

"Most likely a Tiger Shark based on the marks." Shanna explained. "He looked like he was dead for a couple days and he was floating in from farther out of the Mediterranean. I'll hand you the tag after lunch."

"Perfect! And here I was worried I wouldn't be able to get Cuerpo's tag...Now if I can just get the tags of Desaparecido and Tesoro then everyone through T348 will be accounted for! Their numbers are T98 and T222 respectively. Last we heard, Tesoro was headed for Italy but Desaparecido has been off the radar for ages. My conclusion was that he broke the thing off but who can really know. Isn't it crazy just how many turtles are out there? I've even gotten to see Leatherbacks hatching on a beach a ways down the coast! Wouldn't that be cool to see?"

Kazuna was cut off by her phone ringing. Looking at the name, she got up and before darting away she turned around to the group.

"If I'm not back in a few, just finish up on your own ok?"

"Wait! You left your sand-" Kanan began, too late as Kazuna ran back inside to answer the phone call.

"...wich."

"She does that a lot." Shanna admitted with a sigh. "I'll go put it in the fridge. She usually grabs it as a midnight snack."

"Midnight snack?" Kanan asked. "Why would she be here at midnight?"

"This place doubles as her own house. She used to rent an apartment nearby, but she was there so little she just decided to live here instead. Saves money, saves time. Not to mention the easiest commute of the century."

"I didn't see any bedroom anywhere. Where does she even sleep?"

"Second floor. It's hardly much of a floor other than a single bedroom, bathroom and office. The rest of the floor is just the roof. She said she might put something up there, but it's nothing more than a blank white rooftop right now."

"Mind if I take a look after lunch?"

"She'll probably want to give you the tour herself. No reason to barge in ahead of time."

Kanan replied with a simple "Mmm." before continuing with her sandwich. Little else was said over lunch, everyone then headed inside to start their afternoon work. Shanna and Nate led them into a back room with all sorts of boxes and equipment. You gazed around with a puzzled look on her face.

"That's a lot of supplies to manage. How do you keep track of it all?"

""Effort." Responded Shanna, half jokingly. "Over there is the lettuce for Milagro and the other sea turtles. Make sure not to overfeed them, the instructions are on the clipboard attached to the container."

Looking around, You saw all sorts of clipboards on all the different containers, each with their own set of instructions.

"Do you two do all this!?" Kanan questioned with reasonable speculation. "The diving shop back in Japan was plenty busy, but nothing like this! How many animals do you even have?"

"Just 23 actually. Some of these packages are for the same animals, just reserve in case of delays from the delivery trucks. Those 4 containers alone over there are for the freshwater fish. The research center doubles as a small aquarium to help turn a bit more of a profit."

"But why only open the aquarium on Wednesdays?" You asked. "I heard from Nate yesterday that the only time you were open was that one day. It seems awfully random, wouldn't a weekend be a better time to open it to the public?"

""We would if we could. Unfortunately, things just didn't work out that way. You'd have to ask Kazuna about it, I'm not sure of the details myself."

"This seems awfully ambitious for a research center." Kanan concluded. "I'm amazed this place even gets enough funding, is the one day aquarium really enough to stay afloat?"

"Not really. Most of the data gets passed on to major wildlife organizations who pay us in turn for the data we scrounge up. It's not the most profitable job in the world, but hey, as long as Kazuna enjoys it she's happy."

You and Shanna went to feed the fish on display while Kanan was stuck with Nate. Luckily for her, she at the very least got to feed Milagro. Lettuce in hand, she made her way to the side of the tank like the other day. Milagro was resting on her special bed, hardly moving until she saw Kanan's shadow cast across her pool. She pulled her head up and looked at the lettuce Kanan was holding with body language almost identical to that of an excited puppy. Putting the lettuce in reach, Kanan smiled as Milagro took small bites in slow succession. Kanan reached her hand towards the shell, retracting it for a second to turn to Nate standing nearby.

"Is it ok to touch her?"

"Probably. You washed your hands before handling the lettuce after all. As long as you keep your hands away from the wound in her shell, there shouldn't be any issues."

Kanan nodded and began to gently stroke the upper part of Milagro's shell. Milagro didn't seem to give any reaction to the petting, continuing to munch away bit by bit without a care. Somehow, an image of Shiitake popped into Kanan's head. She couldn't help but let a warm smile grow across her face.

" _That's a good girl."_

* * *

Kanan and You waved as Shanna and Nate drove away for the night. When they were out of sight, You stretched her arms and yawned. They had worked until 6 that day, going out with Nate and Shanna for dinner at a small local restaurant.

"The local cuisine here is so delicious!" You sighed with a quick rub of her stomach. "It was nice of those two to invite us out for a bite! I can't wait to see the bigger cities, how about you Kanan?"

"It would certainly make for an interesting time." Kanan admitted. "I'm glad you had a good first day, You. I was worried that my family drama would make this whole trip...awkward."

"Kanan, what I want most is for you to work things out with your mom while you're here. She's probably still at the center if you want to take a look."

"This late at night?" Kanan replied with a baffled look on her face. "Wouldn't she be asleep?"

"When I was feeding the fish with Shanna earlier, she told me that Kazuna would stay up late all the time doing work, especially during crunch time. It's only 8:30, surely she's awake."

"True…" Kanan trailed off. She looked down the hill towards the dimly lit building which was mostly dark at this point. She made a slight grunt as You slapped her on the back with an encouraging smile.

"I'll see you back here in a bit."

Before Kanan could protest, You darted inside the building and left Kanan by herself. Kanan sighed heavily and turned her head back at the door.

" _You could've been a bit more subtle. At least wait for me to make a choice…"_

Once more she turned to the center and began to walk towards it in an almost subconscious decision.

" _This is so dumb."_ Kanan thought in direct contradiction to her own actions. " _Am I really this dedicated to spying on my own mother? Knowing me, I'll be too impatient to do anything else until I find some "solution" to my troubles...guess I don't have much of a choice."_

As she carefully opened the front door, she noticed the lights inside were off. She quietly closed the door and began to walk through the halls as silently as possible.

" _I guess that's one way to save power…"_

As she came towards one of the smaller offices she'd seen the other day, she saw a faint light from under the door. She heard her mother's voice faintly from about a meter away, drawing her closer until she put her ear to the door to listen. It sounded like she was on a phone call.

"Yes...it's scheduled for a few days from now. You said the shipment-"

" _Sounds like she's talking about a supplies order."_

"Wha-What do you mean it's delayed!? I don't know how long she's going to last without that flipper! Her body structure is already deteriorating from lack of exercise, If this keeps up she might not be able to even keep her head above water!"

" _Wait...she's talking about Milagro! Is Milagro in serious danger!?"_

"I-I know we can't rush this! But I-" Kazuna's outburst was cut short, followed by a long silent pause. "I...understand. I'll fill out the paperwork as soon as I can. Thank you."

A beep indicated her hanging up. Kazuna groaned and from the sound of a thump most likely flopped onto some sort of desk.

"Now I got another thing to worry about...I got all that other work done ahead of time so this exact thing WOULDN'T happen! Gods, is it so much to ask to let me see my family for once?"

" _I...I don't understand. If she did care then...why? If you cared for me then why didn't you ever call? Why didn't you ever mail us? Why!?"_

"Oh, my bad. I got to give her a sandwich from a local restaurant and hardly talk to her at all over lunch. That totally counts as "making amends" right?" Kazuna ranted aloud in a sarcastic tone. "I can only imagine how frustrated with me she is. I paid more attention to a dead turtle than to my own daughter! What is wrong with me!?"

Kanan slowly began to walk away from the door, a strange feeling in her chest. A determined look crossed her face as she strode confidently towards the front door.

" _If I'm going to help solve this whole mess, I need to put in some effort myself! Whatever may come, I will make the best of my time here no matter what! Don't worry mom, I won't give up on you!"_

* * *

With a grunt, Mr. Matsuura sat back in his chair after a long day's work. He placed his beer down on a slider next to the chair and allowed himself to sink backwards.

"Daddy, why do you always make those noises whenever you sit down?"

"That's because daddy's not as young as he used to be. Plenty of adults my age have back problems."

"Do you think mommy has back problems too?"

"I can't say. She was always a lot more active than I, so she's probably in much better shape."

The young Kanan looked up sadly at her dad, twiddling her fingers."

"Daddy...why doesn't mom ever call us or anything?"

"Mommy is a very busy woman." Mr. Matsuura explained. "She's also halfway across the planet, so it's not like she can easily come and visit."

"Don't you miss her daddy?"

"Of course I miss her. But we made plenty of memories before she left...and she left you too." He reminisced while giving Kanan a gentle pat on the head. "Hold on one second, daddy's going to play a song."

"A song? What kind of song?" Kanan asked as her dad walked over to a cabinet by the kitchen. He took out a CD case with kanji written on a piece of tape on the front. Kanan's dad showed the CD to Kanan and pointed to the writing.

"Do you know what that says?"

"Hmm...Sa...ka...na! Sakana! Fishies!"

"That's right! This was the song your mother and I danced to when we were first married. Want to hear it?"

"Play it! Play it!" Kanan jumped up and down excitedly. Her dad put it in the CD player and soon the sound of Jazz began to fill the room. Walking out into the middle of the open living room, he put his hands out in front of Kanan.

"Sweetie, do you want to dance with daddy?"

Kanan nodded gleefully and put her hands in his. The two danced the night away with the sound of Jazz swirling in the air, dancing together as father and daughter.


	20. Chapter 20: Worries

Chapter 20: Worries

"Hey...Kanan?" Mari asked through the receiver in a strangely serious voice. "I...I have to admit something. I...I'm also-"

"A lesbian?" Kanan interrupted with a tone that gave away her lack of surprise.

"Aw! Let me at least say it myself!" Mari huffed, making Kanan giggle a bit.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just that I'm pretty sure everyone but Chika in Aqours knows by now."

"B-But I never said anything!"

"Actions speak louder than words, sweetheart."

Mari made some noise through the microphone in playful annoyance. After a bit of silence, Mari put the receiver to her ear again and went on.

"Kanan, I'm telling you this for a reason. Two reasons actually. I need someone to talk to but you're the only person I can really talk to about it."

"It's not like you to be blunt like this unless it's serious. Whatever it is, I'm here to lend an ear."

"Y-Yeah…" Mari stammered. She was silent for a couple seconds before coming back on in a stressed tone. "I haven't...told my parents yet. About me being lesbian. It seems so simple and yet I can't bring myself to do it no matter how much I try."

"What's holding you back?"

"Well, I...I love my parents so much...I'm scared that if they don't accept me that I'll…"

Mari trailed off. Judging by the whimpering on the other end, Kanan could tell Mari was in severe distress. A wave of anxiousness came over her, sending a cold shiver down her spine that made her body physically shake.

"Kanan, what should I do? I want to tell them so badly but...at the same time I'm too scared to. If I don't tell them, I can't live out my life with-"

Mari stopped abruptly. She cleared her throat and calmed herself down, speaking in a clearer but quieter voice.

"Am I just overthinking things? I have so many thoughts racing through my head that I can't manage them anymore. I need you to chose for me Kanan. Please?"

Kanan sat in silence for seemingly endless seconds. She opened her mouth to speak several times, but closed them and returned to her internal monologue each time without fail.

"Kanan?"

"I...I have to think on it. I don't think I can make a clear decision just yet."

"Ok...but don't stress yourself about it. That's the last thing I want for you."

"If it's worth anything, I could help with the other thing you wanted to tell me."

"W-Well, I-"

"If it puts you at any more ease, please tell me. I have your back no matter what, ok?"

Mari sat in silence, nodding to herself. She gulped silently as she began.

"The other reason is because of something I wanted for so long. It wasn't until recently that I felt I could actually achieve it, but if the first falls through then…"

"Mari, are you saying what I think you are?"

"Kanan, I'm...I'm in love with you!" Mari stuttered as she increased her tone. "I wanted to be with you for so long, but I thought I had to bottle those feelings up! But at the same time, if my parents don't accept me...accept us...I can't bear to lose them either!"

"What makes you think they won't accept you? If the whole scenario around the school was any indication, they'd plenty happy to accept you!"

"No Kanan, you don't get it! Remember when I was little and my parents kept trying to stop me from getting out late at night to spend time with you and Dia? They hold me to all sorts of expectations, they always have and still do! What if they don't accept how I feel?"

"A-Ah…" Kanan stuttered, her mind pulling a complete blank. No matter how hard she thought, nothing came to mind whatsoever. "...Like I said earlier, I'll think about it when I have a clearer head. Please forgive me Mari, I can't help you just yet…"

"It's...it's fine." Mari responded in a defeated tone. "I miss you."

* * *

Kanan rubbed her eyes as she walked alongside You towards the center. She put a hand in front of her mouth and let out a big yawn.

"It's not like you to be this tired in the morning." You noted, yawning herself in response. "Hey, you even have me yawning!"

"Oh it's nothing really, just didn't sleep well last night."

"I thought I heard you tossing and turning as I was falling asleep." You admitted. "It wasn't raining or anything either. Probably just the jet lag catching up with you."

"Mmm."

Kanan dropped it, not wanting to concern You about her phone call the night before. It was still in the back of her mind though, nagging at her silently. She hardly even noticed that she was staring off into space as a result. Her attention returned with a call from the entranceway to the center, Shanna standing out front with a wave.

"Morning! Did you two sleep well?"

"Kanan not really, but I'm wide awake and ready to get started! Yousoro!"

"Yousoro?" Shanna asked in an amused tone.

"It's a common Japanese sailor expression. It's sorta become my catchphrase!"

"Well Yousoro to you too!" Shanna laughed, copying You's salute.

As per usual, You, Kanan, Shanna and Nate went out on the boat to survey an area. This morning's run took them farther than they went the other day, which meant more time to look at Nate's horrible clothing choice of the day: A plaid shirt with lime green shorts and purple water shoes. You and Shanna were chatting away while Kanan stared off to the side at the back of the boat. Her eyelids started to droop after a little while, and she began to snooze away. She jumped up in surprise as a hand shook her shoulder.

"Ack! Jeez, don't startle me like that!"

"Kanan, you missed the falcon flying by! It was a huge one too! What's with you today, you're usually so full of energy! It's not like you to doze off!"

"Sorry, sorry. I get what you mean, but I'm fine, really! I just didn't sleep well is all."

You looked at her skeptically, but decided against questioning further.

"Ok, but don't leave all the work to us."

Luckily for Kanan, the morning was relatively uneventful so she got a bit of sleep in. After the boat ride was over, Nate went to go order some food from the same local restaurant as before. Kanan took the side facing away from the ocean since she figured she'd space out anyway.

"I'm glad I don't have to eat another bologna tomato thing this time." Kanan sighed. "I don't have a problem with the place itself, the combination is just so...weird together."

"Oh believe me, nobody here aside from her even touches them willingly." Shanna admitted. "Kazuna knows the owner well, so we rarely order lunches from anywhere else. He finds it absolutely hysterical that she likes the bologna tomato mess of a sandwich."

"Remind me what the restaurant's name is?"

"Comida. Apparently he wanted a, quote, 'simplistic name' for the store."

"It is rather short and sweet." You reaffirmed with a smirk.

Their short conversation was interrupted by Nate opening the door to the deck with an apologetic look on his face. Kanan's worried facial reaction happened before he could even say a word, which was impressive considering how quick Nate was to talk.

"Long story short, Kazuna isn't meeting with us for lunch."

"Busy working on stuff I assume?" You asked.

"Kinda. Well...it's about Milagro. The whole process of ordering her flipper has been a mess in itself, but now we have a new problem. Our providers for the materials had a fire in their factory from some sort of electrical malfunction. If we don't find a new provider, it may take at least a month to get a new one."

"But Milagro isn't going to be able to live that long at this rate!" Kanan exclaimed as she stood up abruptly. "At least tell me we have a plan!"

"That's what Kazuna's trying to formulate right now. She said that she's mainly going to be juggling paperwork and calling anyone who could potentially help us, so it's best you let her do this herself-"

"No, this is absurd! We came here to help out and that's exactly what we're gonna do!"

"Try all you want, Kazuna isn't going to let you. As I said the other day, once she gets an idea it sticks. She's already decided she doesn't want any of us to deal with this-"

"So we should just sit here doing nothing instead!?"

"There's plenty of other work that needs to get done here. If you want to help her out, work on what she can't right now. Capeesh?"

"Who made you the boss?"

Kanan and Nate's bickering ended with a mutually frustrated stare. Eventually, Kanan plopped back down in her seat with a defeated look.

"I'm sorry for yelling."

"S-Same…"

Lunch proceeded in silence, everyone weighed down by the gloomy tense mood. Not even Shanna's usual positive attitude was present. After lunch, they proceeded along with the usual feeding schedule and tidying up. Nate was working with Kanan again that day, which didn't make things any less awkward.

" _What a nightmare…"_ Kanan thought to herself as she fed some lettuce to Milagro. " _I came here full of worries and somehow they managed to get even worse. This is the only time I'll be able to see my mother whatsoever for who knows how long and I'm hardly able to see her let alone talk to her! I wish I could ask Mari-"_

Kanan's thought process stopped abruptly as she remembered Mari's predicament. Her movements froze and she stared blankly off at the tank with her lips parted slightly.

" _I completely left her on hold! Why do I feel so powerless to help her? Why do I feel so powerless to help mom? I have to do it somehow! They're too important for me to let down!"_

Kanan jumped in surprise as Nate gave her a tap on the shoulder. Her startled reaction made him jump back himself.

"S-Sorry for startling you! You just had this scary look on your face and I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine. Just...let me be, ok? I have a lot on my mind right now."

"O-Of course. Sorry."

With her attention back, she noticed that Milagro's lettuce leaf had a lot fewer bites taken from it. It was right in grabbing range, but Milagro made no attempt to eat.

"This isn't good…" Nate worried aloud, strolling up to the edge of the tank. "If she starts eating less, her muscle mass is only going to decrease at an accelerated rate."

Kanan tried gesturing it towards Milagro to no avail. She refused to eat it, turning her head away when nudged closer.

" _Come on Milagro...not you too…"_

* * *

You and Kanan grabbed dinner at a small local pub. It wasn't anything special, but Kanan wasn't in the mood for anything fancy. After an uneventful meal, the two drove back to their temporary home to get some well needed rest. As they stood at the steps of the building, Kanan looked down at the center as she had the other night.

"The deja vu is telling me that you're going to head down there aren't you?"

Kanan hesitated but nodded.

"I can't just let my mom toil away forever. Besides, the faster we get work done the faster we can do fun things like we planned!"

"That's the spirit!" You encouraged before letting out a big yawn. "I'm a bit sleepy so I'll sit this one out. It'll be good mother daughter bonding time anyway, I don't wanna interfere with that!"

"Thanks for that You. I'll be back whenever!" Kanan called as she lightly jogged towards the center. Despite all the bad things that had happened, Kanan decided to give into the optimism. "I doubt it'll be easy, but who am I to back down from a challenge? If it'll help my mom, I'm all for it!"

As she headed inside, a loud crash suddenly came from down the corridor. Her brief moment of optimism faded into a terrible gut feeling. As she reached Kazuna's door, she took no moment of pause to swing it wide open. She gasped as she saw Kazuna passed out on the floor with her chair knocked on its side.

"MOM!"

She flipped Kazuna over from her facedown position and leaned her up against the wall. She was breathing fine and had no visible injuries but was visibly exhausted. There were black circles under her eyes and her hand was somewhat red from what appeared to be excessive writing. A few sheets of paper were on the floor as well, paperwork for various different companies, foundations and other presumably business partners. Once Kanan made sure her mother wasn't in dire need of medical attention, she picked up the documents and the chair so the room wasn't a mess. A small telephone sat on the desk, which Kanan quickly grabbed.

" _I should call Shanna or Nate! They'll know where the nearest hospital is! I'm sure their number is in here somewhe-"_

Kanan's thoughts paused as the screen lit up. The phone was completely in Spanish. It wasn't a cell phone with visual hints either, the orange lighting only showed words she couldn't read projected as pixels. She pressed an arrow key to move up and down the selections hopelessly, her mind scrambling for a solution.

"Damn it!" She cursed as she slammed it back in its charging station like before. She stood with her hands planted firmly on the desk for several seconds in gnawing frustration until the sounds of movement got her attention. Turning around, she saw Kazuna starting to wake up. She used her arm to wipe in front of her eyes with a heavy groan.

"Ughh...did I just faint?"

As she moved her arm aside and saw Kanan standing over her, a brief look of surprise faded into a sad gaze.

"K-Kanan, I-"

"Don't look at me like that, just go to bed!" Kanan yelled angrily. "Do you have any idea how scared you made me just now!? If you injured yourself just now I wouldn't have been able to find a hospital or even call anyone!"

"But if I don't, Milagro will-"

"What's the point of saving Milagro if you kill yourself in the process!? Nate can help too! Shanna can help! You Watanabe can help! I can help! Why can't you just…"

Kanan stopped mid sentence, her voice breaking up as she grinded her teeth and let streams roll gently down her face. Kazuna slowly stood up and began to turn to the door.

"You're right...I'll do my best to rely on you all. I'm sorry, I'll...I'll go."

Kazuna slowly walked out the door and towards her bedroom. Kanan didn't even try to stop her. She simply stood put until she couldn't bear the weight of her own body and collapsed to her knees. She let out the last of her anger by giving the floor a strong punch before holding her weeping face in her hands.

* * *

It was dark yet dimly lit, like a stage in a theatre just before the rising curtains. This time however, she knew exactly where she was but more importantly what she was. A fish. The reef looked similar to what it did before, but something was different. The happy jazz playing faintly in the background was absent, and no lights danced around the now bleached-white corals. As she swam in the direction Mari had swam before, she saw the same dead sight for miles. As she made her way through the once abundant reef, she happened to notice a flash of color. It was a Moray Eel, hiding under a rock ledge out of sight. Upon further investigation, she noticed a large crowd of fish was under each and every rock like they were hiding from something.

"Kanan! Kanan!" Called a faint voice nearby. Turning around in the center of the reef, she saw fish Mari hiding among a group of Yellow Tangs with a fearful look on her face. "Under here, hurry!"

Kanan nodded and began to swim towards the rock, but was interrupted as something snapped against her on both sides. It began to pull her up out of the water almost as quickly as it had appeared.

"Kanan, no!" Mari called out despairingly, her face awashed with horror. Kanan struggled against air as she was hoisted high above the water. To her surprise, she was met with a huge Chika smiling right at her blankly. Upon further observation, she realized she was being held in a massive pair of chopsticks. Kanan was hoisted over Chika, who proceeded to close her eyes and open her gaping maw directly below where Kanan was.

"Chika, stop! It's me! Please don't eat me!"

Her words went without reaction, the pressure of the chopsticks subsiding as she was dropped into Chika's mouth. She screamed in terror as she fell past her tongue and uvula, swallowed down into the deep dark abyss in the back of Chika's throat.

"OW!"

Kanan's exclamation of pain came as she hit the hardwood floor beside her bed. She groaned and rubbed her head with a fed up expression. Standing up, she saw You sitting upright with a shocked expression.

"Kanan, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine, just happened to fall out of bed."

Kanan dismissed You as she grabbed a few clothes and went into the bathroom to get changed. She debated over having a shower but ultimately decided she wasn't in the mood. She could hear it raining outside anyway, so there was little point in getting her hair wet just to get it wet a second time. When she finally got dressed, she stumbled into the kitchen to make some breakfast. There wasn't any music player to listen to, so the lonely raindrops outside kept her company with its pattering medley on the overhang out front. It would be a medley that inspired no movement from her however, as she completely focused on making a breakfast of toast and eggs. She shoved a single piece into a toaster and began to cook the egg over a pan. She stepped away from the stove for a second to grab some milk out of the fridge, placing it on the table nearby. After grabbing a cup to go along with it, the toaster dinged, signaling it was done. As she went to retrieve it, she noticed it was burnt along most of its surface. Grabbing a plate, she pulled it out anyway to see what she could salvage. She shook her fingers after pulling it out, the toast being hot to the touch. In frustration, she tossed it into the trash. Checking on the egg, she realized she'd left it on for too long. Spinning around, her elbow bonked the milk jug off the table. It thudded to the ground and spilled all over the floor.

"Shit!"

Kanan eventually gave up on breakfast, resorting to guzzling the glass of milk she'd poured and going out for a jog to clear her head. She didn't care that it was raining, all that mattered to her was calming down and unnerving the onslaught of stress. The rain took away the scents of the ocean, instead an earthy smell from the grassy patches along the road overpowering it. Her breathing was labored and her feet felt heavy. As she approached the top of the hill leading up from the center, her pace began to slow. She began to feel dizzy and her breath drew more ragged.

 _What's...what's happening to-"_

Her vision began to blur and she lost her sense of balance. She didn't even feel the impact as she fell to the ground, the rain becoming little more than a gentle buzzing of white noise. In her blurry gaze towards the road, she saw what looked like a bicycle stop a short distance off. A figure ran towards her, but her fading consciousness only showed a dark shadow to her before she passed out completely.

* * *

Kanan's eyelids flashed as her vision began to return to her. She felt a bit cold, but she could tell something was covering her. Her head on the other hand felt hot, a slight headache coming to her as she regained her senses. She was back in her bed, a pair of soft pajamas making an odd sensation as it touched her cold skin. Turning her head to the side, she saw Kazuna, Nate, Shanna and You standing in the room. Kazuna was by her side, You on her bed and the others by the foot of her bed. The two friends shared a concerned look, but You's face looked more irritated than worried. Kazuna on the other hand had an expression full of a mix of emotions, mostly a strong sense of worry that panged Kanan with guilt almost instinctively. Her eyes were somewhat red and faint trails ran down both cheeks, implying she'd been crying.

"Do you feel ok, sweetheart?" She cooed softly. Kanan nodded wordlessly.

"You're lucky I found you when I did." Nate broke in. "Who knows what would've happened if you'd been left passed out by the side of the road?"

"Kanan, we're all here for you!" Shanna assured. "If you're having a problem, tell us! It's just like with Kazuna! The more we can cooperate and share the workload, the more likely we can save Milagro! I can tell you have a lot on your mind, so please tell us when you're rested up ok?"

"I will…" Kanan said quietly but genuinely.

"We'll be doing our morning routine as usual. If you need to talk later, I'm always happy to lend an ear!" Shanna added warmly. With that, they left the room and returned to their work. With just You and her mom in the room, Kazuna continued.

"I won't ask you to forgive me yet, I doubt I deserve it for all the stress I've put you through. But I want you to know that the last thing I ever want for you is to stress yourself out like this. I wanted us to be able to have a good time together right from the get go, but unfortunately, life's not willing to be that kind. Once we get this situation settled, I promise you that I'll spend some proper family time together! If you need anything, don't hesitate to call. I'll be happy to take care of what you need."

"Mmm." Kanan nodded, trying her best to express her feelings without the words she couldn't come up with. Kazuna nodded before walking towards the door. She looked back at Kanan once before walking slowly out. Once she was out of earshot, You finally spoke up.

"Why are you so stubborn?" She spat out, annoyance in her tone. "Do you even realize how stupid you've been acting?"

"Y-You?"

"I heard everything about your conversation last night with Kazuna. She kept weeping and talking about how terrible of a mother she was! You told her- no, you screamed at her saying she shouldn't bear the load on her own. Look what you've been doing this whole time! I must've asked you a dozen times if you were ok, and every time you'd shrug it off! If you'd taken your own advice and just told us what's on your mind, Nate wouldn't have had to have dragged your unconscious body all the way back to the house! If you keep this up, you're only going to get worse! Do you understand me?"

"Y-Yes…"

"Just letting you know, I'm furious with you not just because of this. I'm furious because you scared me, just like Kazuna did with you last night. I was scared that you could've been kidnapped or killed or...or…"

You trailed off, taking a deep breath to regain her composure.

"I might need a little time. Just...get better so you can fix the mess you've made, ok?"

With that, You stormed out of the room. She closed the door behind her, but she didn't slam it. As her footsteps faded, Kanan put a hand on her aching forehead. She tried her best to fall asleep but You's words dug into her like a knife. Not because they were harsh, but because she was right.


	21. Chapter 21: Heart to Heart

Chapter 21: Heart to Heart

"So that's why you got so worked up." Shanna responded in astoundment. "That's a hell of a lot to take in at once."

"Sure, but it's not like I acted any better. I got so wrapped up in my own concerns that I completely ignored everyone's else's." Kanan put her hand to her forehead as she continued. "I'm at such a loss. I want to do something but at the same time I'm afraid to do anything that could negatively impact my friends."

A brief moment of silence was interrupted as a seagull called loudly overhead. Shanna had taken her out on an evening boat ride to vent her problems while You took some time to relieve her own frustrations. The orange sun made the ocean glimmer in brilliant shades of orange and magenta as the waves rippled from the slow movement of the boat.

"Honestly, I'm relieved that you came to care for your mother. After all this time you still want to make things right."

"It's not that I never cared about my mother, I just couldn't bear the thought that my mom had abandoned her family to run some wild and crazy dream. I know now that it's not completely true, but it's a question that weighed down on me since I was little. Part of me wonders why I kept caring for so long instead of growing to resent her. I think deep down a part of me wanted to bury the idea that she didn't care for us."

Shanna looked off across the water with a faint smile on her face. Kanan put down her palm and sat back up curiously.

"Something up?"

"No, no, not at all. It's just...I remembered something from when I was younger. A small childhood memory."

"What was it about?"

"We had gone on a family trip to the aquarium. It's one of the fondest memories I have, in fact it's partially why I became a marine biologist to begin with. Neither of my parents had a college degree so they had to work long hours to make ends meet. As a result, we didn't get to see them too often. I wished I could spend more time with them, as did my siblings. One day during the summer, they got time off and decided to take the chance to do something as a family. My parents are living better lives now that we've all gone off to live self-sufficiently, but I can't help but feel a bit of sentiment when I visit aquariums or see big illuminated fish tanks. The way you talked about wishing you could be with your mother more often...it reminded me of how I was. Even now I miss not being near my mother, but I took a chance and it paid off."

"Took a chance?"

"Moving all the way out here to work was costly, and both me and my parents knew that. I asked them for advice, and they told me this: 'If you spend all your time dabling in what-if's, you'll miss the chance of a lifetime. Get out there and stake your claim while you're still young.' In the end, I think you know what I chose."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that you were able to follow your heart with something you love."

"Now don't you think it's about time you did the same?"

Shanna's question caught Kanan off guard. She shifted slightly, a bit confused as to what she meant. Shanna laughed a bit at Kanan's reaction.

"What else do you think I mean? You and that Mari girl! She likes you and you like her! Why leave her in suspense, just tell her!"

"Wha-Whoa, whoa, whoa, I've never said anything like that!"

"You certainly act like it! You've got this big blush on your face every time you bring her up."

"N-No I don't!" Kanan leaned forward abruptly, clearly without any good defense. She sat back and put a hand to her cheek self-consciously. "...do I?"

"Red as a beat."

Kanan made a noise in embarrassment, hunching her shoulders as she averted her eyes.

"But in all seriousness, I think you should tell her how you feel. You two obviously know each other extremely well and care for each other equally as much."

"I know, but-"

"Which is better? Taking a risk that could ensure her happiness or leave her feelings boxed up for life?"

"I...I'm not sure. I don't want to make decisions that could negatively impact her life. Mari was always more of the risk taker. When we took a risk back as first years, Mari injured her leg trying a difficult dance pattern. It was the result of that injury that we lost 2 years of our lives apart. I can only imagine the pain she'd endure if she lost her parent's love. I can't bear to have that kind of weight on my shoulders, especially if it's her involved."

"I won't force you to make an immediate decision. I do think it's best to give it good thought before deciding if you'll be going through with it. You already know my opinion, so I won't repeat myself."

"Thank you Shanna, really. It means a lot that you care for me this much after all the trouble I've caused."

"It's no problem at all, feel free to ask me if you need any more advice! There's plenty where that comes from."

* * *

It was a little over a week since Kanan's incident. Although Kanan still refused to respond to Mari's question, the weekend was finally upon them and she was finally going to spend some time with her mother. She had worked alongside her a lot during the day, but there was little they could do for fun in the meantime. With everyone's combined efforts, the deal with Milagro's spare fin was able to be resolved, a spare set to arrive in roughly a week's time. Kanan was the first ready, understandably excited for the day's events.

"Mooooorniiing!" Called an even more poorly dressed than usual Nate.

"Are...are those plaid shorts!?" Kanan stuttered in surprise.

"I don't even know they made those." You grimaced. After putting up with it for so long, it was clear You's fashion sense was making her repulsion more and more visible.

"I thought the lumberjack shirt made me look like some sort of cool mountaineer from the alps!"

"Lumberja- That's an orange checker pattern sweater! You didn't even get the color right!" You chastised. "Also...please don't tell me those are clogs you're wearing…"

"I-I thought that lumberjacks wore those too-"

He was cut short as You started marching towards him wordlessly. Fearfully, he ran back towards the entrance of the research center with You hot on his tail.

"I'M SORRYYYYYYYYY!"

Kanan sighed with a look of mild entertainment on her face as the pursuit continued until Kazuna opened the front door and almost got mowed down in the chaos. Running behind her, Nate clung fearfully to her shoulders as You stopped in front of her.

"S-She's trying to kill me! Please save meeeee!"

"I refuse to be seen around anyone with THAT disgrace you call clothing on!" You growled. "Go change out of it into something presentable, un-der-stand?"

"Y-Yes...YES MA'AAAAAAAAAAAMMMM!" He yelled as he ran into the research center to protect himself from the wrath of You-chan the normal fashion monster.

"Jeez, don't scare the poor boy." Kazuna butt in to settle the group.

"I think I'm going to need to bleach my eyes after that." You muttered to herself.

Kazuna patted her on the head with an understanding smile. "There there, I'm sure he won't try anything crazy after that display. Even he's not THAT dense."

With everyone calmed and in proper attire, they headed out to the city for the day. Despite the exhaustion of working all week, Kanan seemed chipper than usual for reasons obvious to You. She snuck a glance at her and smiled as she saw Kanan looking out the window and taking in the scenery.

"Welcome to San Roque everyone!" Kazuna announced as they came upon the city. "It's not big, but there's plenty to see here! There's quite a few restaurants to visit too, so feel free to point anything out if you can!"

"This almost reminds me of our graduation trip." Kanan reminisced. "Me, Mari and Dia went to Italy and met up with the others who were there as a result of Mari's mom's plotting."

"Plotting? That sounds a bit dangerous." Kazuna worried aloud.

"Oh, but things worked out in the end. We ended up performing on a huge outdoor staircase to convince her that Mari being an idol had worth to it. It was an absolute success, and Mari's mom finally gave in. I'll have to show you the performance at some point: You got it all on film!"

"That song, it wouldn't happen to be 'Hop? Stop? Nonstop!' would it?"

The whole van seemed to jolt a bit as the group collectively moved in surprise.

"Y-Yes, that's the one. But how did you…?"

"You probably didn't know, but your father and I sent secret letters to each other. He told me all about your idol days and how happy you were. I even listened to your songs when I got the chance."

"I...don't understand." Kanan mumbled. "Why would you keep it a secret this whole time?"

"I'm sorry, but can we talk about this later?" Kazuna broke in. "I'd...rather not ruin the day with family drama."

"Alright, alright." Kanan agreed, putting on a smile to try to cheer her up. "We've both been looking forward to this for a while, so let's enjoy it to the fullest!"

Looking touched, Kazuna bumped her fist up.

"Say it with me everyone! Tiiiiiiiiime for fun!"

Everyone copied her, down to the movement. After a brief pause, everyone started giggling like children. Even Kazuna joined in on the laughter. After parking, the group decided to go for lunch at a local restaurant. It wasn't super fancy, but it looked promising to the group. Despite offering them the choice earlier, Kazuna ended up choosing the place anyway. There was a nice rustic charm to it, a nice outdoor patio area with some flowers to decorate it. It wasn't long before a woman wearing a fancy worker's uniform came to take their order. Since Kazuna knew Spanish, she translated for the group. When everyone was done ordering, she pointed to the menu and ordered one extra thing for the table. With a nod, the woman took the menus and left them to discuss amongst themselves.

"Hey mom, what was that last thing you ordered?" Kanan asked.

"Chicharrones."

"Never heard of 'em. Is it some sort of appetizer?"

"They're fried pork skins!" She explained enthusiastically. "You should try some."

"That sounds...lovely." Kanan responded with a scratch to the back of her head, clearly unable to hide her lack of enthusiasm to try the dish.

"Oh come on, you're halfway across the globe! You should at least give it a try! If you don't like it, I won't force you to eat any more." Kazuna encouraged.

Kanan let her head and shoulders drop and smirked in defeat.

"Fine, fine. You're right. I'll try some."

A couple minutes later, the waitress came back with a plate of the appetizer. It looked strangely puffy, almost like an inflated wheat snack. It was round in shape, forming an incomplete cylinder or an overlapping one depending. Picking one up, she inspected it by turning it around in her hand.

"It's like a fluffy chip, but it tastes like bacon!"

She paused a moment before popping the little morsel into her mouth. Her eyes widened slightly as she continued to chew it at an increasing rate. After a quick gulp, she quickly began to reach for another.

"Wow, these things are amazing! For a snack food, you'd think I wouldn't like it...but there's this unique combination to the taste and texture that I've never really tasted before!"

Putting another in her mouth, she munched away happily with a big grin spread across her munching lips.

"Careful now, you don't want to fill up on those before your meal comes!"

"Yes mom, I won't." Kanan acknowledged partially, distracted by the morsels she was shoveling into her mouth.

* * *

You rubbed her belly as the group headed away from the restaurant. She sighed happily in content.

"Haaaaah, I feel stuffed!"

"This is one of my favorite places in town." Shanna added in. "I can't think of a single time I haven't left feeling satisfied!"

"Hey, I got an idea! Let's go hiking!" Kazuna burst out, arms in the air enthusiastically. "There's a nice location just near here with a beautiful view!"

"Ueeeh, I dunno if I wanna go for a hike just yet." You moaned. "I might need a bit to let all that food digest, if I tried jogging now I'd probably get nauseous."

"I don't have nearly the stamina for that kind of exercise." Nate said in excuse. "I was thinking about going around and looking at some of the places around here."

"Nate, you go here every weekend. Besides, you always complain about your feet hurting by the end of the day." Shanna criticized.

"B-But, I'm on my feet all day! Of course they're gonna hurt!"

"So how is hiking any different?"

"W-Well...I...you know, I…" Nate stammered as he failed to find a counterargument.

"Kanan, what would you like to do?" Shanna asked. "Personally I'm fine with either."

Kanan shrugged in response, also indifferent. Just then, Shanna snapped her fingers as an idea popped into her head.

"How about this? Me, Nate and You will go explore the town. Then you and Kazuna can go hiking together! A mother daughter bonding experience!"

Kazuna grabbed Kanan's right hand with both of hers, excitement in her eyes. "Can we? Can we?"

"I'd love to." She replied with a wink. With that, the two groups went their separate ways. Since they didn't need it while in the city, Kazuna and Kanan took the car to a nearby location. It wasn't a huge place, or at least the parking lot for it wasn't, but Kazuna's excitement seemed to suggest it was more than it looked at first glance. The lot was basically empty, save for one couple who seemed to be in the process of leaving.

"It's hardly a tourist destination." Kazuna explained. "The trail isn't as well kept as others near here, so most people have gotten used to the others. This one however is perfect for active types like you and I."

"Something special about the trail?" Kanan wondered aloud.

"Just wait and see. That's the fun of exploring, right?"

"Shall we walk it then? To take in the scenery?"

"Hmm…" Kazuna pondered for a second...or at least pretended to. Without warning, she broke into a sprint towards the trail.

"H-Hey!" Kanan called as she gave chase. She quickly smirked as she began to pick up speed. "Don't think that head start will do you any good!"

"Come and catch me if you can!" Kazuna taunted playfully. The two began to race through the wooded trail, swerving around stray roots like stunt cars swerving around cones. 5 minutes passed. 10 minutes passed. 15 minutes passed. Kazuna finally started to slow her pace a bit, running alongside Kanan as she allowed herself to catch her breath slightly.

"Hah...hah...fine, I concede." She panted between breaths. "You're quite the athlete!"

"You could say so about yourself too."

"Wow, idol training must be tough. Do your friends run like this too?"

"Not at all. They definitely train hard, but if they tried running like we just did they'd be panting and lying on the ground, catching their breath. Especially one girl named Hanamaru. She's a hard worker to be sure, but she's not one for intensive exercise."

"Well I'd hardly call this intensive." Kazuna said aloud. "That was probably what, 10 minutes of running? On a good day, I could run the stretch of this path we've ran in like 7. Not that I've ever timed it."

"Are you sure that was 10?"

"To be honest, I have no idea. I never time myself on runs, I find it takes away from the fun of jogging. Why focus on a stupid clock when you can focus on the beautiful air around you? It's good for the mind."

"Absolutely. I usually go jogging every morning before school back home to get myself warmed up for the day."

"Really? I used to do the same growing up. I guess you got some of mom in you!"

"Well it certainly didn't come from dad."

The two laughed as they kept up the same side by side pace. After running for about 45 minutes or so, Kazuna's pace began to slow. She came to a stop by a rock ledge, putting her hands on her knees and catching her breath.

"You alright mom?"

"Yeah, just want to take a small rest here. There's a little bit left, but there's no reason to overexert ourselves." Kazuna reached into her bag and pulled out two bottles. She handed one over to Kanan. The two sat on a nearby mossy rock and took big gulps of water. They exhaled in tandem, looking out at the rocky forest hills they had climbed.

"You know, I've never really been able to jog like this before." Kanan admitted. "I could jog with my friends or family, but all of them would quickly fall behind my pace. It wasn't ever a real problem, but the only time I could jog to my utmost ability was when I was alone. But...for the first time, I was able to jog without holding back whatsoever. I'm able to enjoy it in the company of someone else...my own mother."

"Oh Kanan, you're gonna make me tear up." Kazuna said softly as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Now that you mention it...I always felt the same way. Having my own research center where I could live and adore the ocean on a daily basis was like a dream to me. But in the process of achieving that dream, I unknowingly isolated myself. I sent out fliers and put up adds all over the place for my center, not because I needed the help but because I needed to company. It was only by luck that Shanna and Nate came into my life to fill that void, if only a tad. They're almost like family to me...but they never could replace my real family."

She finished her story by giving Kanan a gentle rub on the head.

"All this time, I could've avoided this problem if I realized that you were my answer the whole time."

"Dawwww, come here you!" Kanan said as she gave Kazuna a surprise hug. She almost fell over in surprise, but regained her balance and returned the hug. A few seconds later, the two stood up and prepared for the final segment of the run. This time, the two started to sprint in tandem. As they neared the top of the rock faces, they came upon a long straight section of trail. It was like a corridor of trees, the afternoon sun shining brightly down at them from the exit. Grabbing Kanan's hand, Kazuna broke into a sprint.

"This is the final stretch! Let's give it all we've got!"

Kanan nodded with a massive grin, running with every ounce of energy left in her legs. There was a fire in their step, running with all their might towards their bright glowing goal ahead of them. As they reached the top, they leapt up onto a granite slab that marked the end of the trail. As her eyes adjusted, Kanan gasped. Before her was a magnificent view of the countryside, the forests and the ocean all in one. Kanan stood silent for a moment, catching her breath and taking in the spectacular view.

"Wow...it's spectacular..."

"None of the other trails have anything quite like this. Most just end in a loop or have a rather unimpressive lookout point. This one however? Absolutely breathtaking."

"Hey mom, you brought a camera right? Mind if I use it for a second?"

"Yeah, sure. What for?"

Kanan didn't respond, but instead went over to a relatively smooth rock and began to tinker with the camera.

"Mom, you stand right about there, ok?" She asked while pointing at an area right in front of the camera. "I want to get a picture of the two of us."

Kazuna lightly jogged over towards the area Kanan had suggested, just as Kanan finished setting up the picture.

"Ok, you ready?"

"All ready!" Kazuna called with a thumbs up. Kanan pushed a button and the camera started to beep. Quickly running over, Kanan sat down next to her mother and put an arm over her shoulder. Kazuna did the same, pushing up against Kanan and smiling at the camera as it began to beep in faster succession.

" _Click!_ "

* * *

The sun had brightened in the sky as it got closer to sundown. In total, the hike had taken about 2 and a half hours. A sign at the bottom said the hike was a 3-4 hour hike for both ways, to which the two bust up laughing. Heading back towards town, Kazuna took a backstreet and found an area along the sidewalk to park.

"Aren't we supposed to meet up with everyone else back at the lot?"

"We were, but there's one place I'd like to stop by with you first."

Kanan was mildly confused, but she didn't bother to question it.

" _Is this another of her favorite places?_ Kanan wondered to herself. " _Maybe it's a little sweet shop? No, that's not right, we'll be having dinner soon. Does the place close early?"_

Kanan's thoughts led her nowhere, following her mom in suffocating curiosity. She couldn't help but let her eyes drift to all the historic places around town, taking in the unique atmosphere of it.

" _I wonder if there's a place here that holds some sort of attachment to her...maybe that's it. Not like there's much else that I can think of."_

"Kanan."

Her thoughts were interrupted as her mom stopped next to a storefront. She gestured towards it with a smile. Kanan took one look inside and she gasped, putting her hands to her mouth.

"Whatever you want, I'll pay in full. It's the least I can offer you."

"Y-You mean that-"

"I doubt this can make up for all those gifts I never gave, but if it brings you happiness that's all that I care about."

"M-Mom…" Kanan stuttered as tears began to fill her eyes. She ran into her mother's arms and wept tears of joy into her shoulder. Kazuna gave her head a gentle rub, smiling.

* * *

After dinner, the group headed back to the center. Nate complained a bit about his feet hurting, but otherwise everyone was unanimously happy about their day. You's group had gone around shopping and sightseeing, each with their own bag of goods. Nate had bought a bunch of sweets from a local shop, Shanna had bought a new wetsuit and You had bought a model boat. There wasn't a moment of silence until the group returned to the center, at which point You let out a big yawn.

"Wow, I feel exhausted! Thanks for the great day everyone, I'm gonna go crash."

"Sounds good to me, I think I will too when I get home…" Shanna added, yawning part-way through her sentence. "I'll see you all tomorrow!"

"If you want, I can drive. I don't feel super tired." Nate offered.

"Works for me." Shanna agreed, rubbing her face with her hand sleepily. Before long, the two had driven off to leave Kanan, Kazuna and You to themselves. You started to head back to the home, but stopped when she realized Kazuna had stopped Kanan.

"I just want to talk to you for a little bit, is that alright?" Kazuna asked.

"Sure, I'm definitely fine with it. You can head off to sleep You."

You nodded sleepily as she yawned once more. She headed back off to the building as Kanan followed her mother into the center. Her mom took her towards the upstairs, which Kanan hadn't actually gotten the chance to see yet. She was admittedly curious what the room would look like, not assuming much other than a few small belongings to be there. Her mom came over to a door with a metal handle, turning with her side facing Kanan. It was at this point she noticed her mom was frowning sadly, which based on the day's happy events caught her off guard.

"Mom?"

Kazuna opened the door and walked inside, Kanan following suit. Like she thought, the room had little to it. A closet held a bunch of clothes and a laundry basket sat next to it. Kazuna had a decent sized bed, but it definitely didn't look new by any means. What did surprise her however was a nightstand with a CD player sitting on top of it. Next to it sat a picture of a much younger Kazuna in a beautiful white dress. Standing next to her was her father, making it clear to her that this was a photo from her wedding. Kazuna sat down on the bed and glanced at the stand.

"Open up the bottom drawer."

Kanan opened it up, finding a big box separated into various files. Opening the files, she saw letters dating back to the time of the center's opening that were kept in plastic envelopes.

"There...there has to be at least 300 letters here...how did you keep all these a secret?"

"Your father used to send them while you were at school. Eventually when you got older and dropped out of school to help with the business, he'd send them out whenever you were out on business tours. Of course, he never had the stealth or strength to carry it to the post office. That's why he had a good friend take it for him. I'm sure you know his name."

"You mean...Smokey was in on this too!? Why did you go through all of this effort to hide this from me? You must've known I wanted to see you, surely you did!"

"I have no excuse. There's only one reason I never came home. Not the expenses, not the loneliness...it was all because of guilt. I was so concentrated on taking a chance that I didn't even realize the effect it would have on you. By the time I realized, the purchase for the center was long complete. I had to pay it off somehow, and returning home would only mean piling on debt for our family. I couldn't own up to it. I couldn't let down my child or my husband, so I...I decided it was better for you to just forget about me. I thought you'd hate me anyway. I caused you so much pain and ran away from my responsibilities...I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry…"

Kazuna began to weep softly, Kanan's eyes beginning to water too.

"Why didn't you ever ask? I never hated you, I was just mad. I was mad that you never sent anything, never bothered to send so much as a card, never bothered to do anything to even tell me you cared. I thought my own mother didn't care about me! I...I…"

Kanan tackled her mother in a hug and cried loudly into her shoulder. Kazuna hugged her back and allowed herself to cry alongside her.

"I guess it might as well be time to face the facts." Kazuna managed to say in a choked-up voice. "I'll sell this place and head back to-"

"NO!"

Kazuna was startled by Kanan's sudden outburst, jumping in her seat slightly.

"You worked yourself to death and isolated yourself from us to make this place! It has your blood, sweat and tears in it! Don't make all that work be for nothing, I'll be damned if I let you give up now!"

"Kanan…"

"You exhausted yourself trying to save Milagro, how can you possibly give up now!? All I want is to know that you love me, because I love you too damn it!" She screamed in a choked-up voice.

"I love you Kanan...I've always loved you...I will always love you...and that fact will never change!" Kazuna reassured the now calmer Kanan who continued to sob lightly into her shoulder. After a minute or so of crying, the two finally recomposed themselves. They finally let go, Kazuna rubbing her eyes once again. Out of curiosity, Kanan opened the top drawer to see if there was anything else she had hidden away. Opening it up, she saw it was empty save for one thing.

"You...you kept a copy too?"

"How couldn't I? I would listen to that to remember those good times I spent with my husband. You know the song's name, don't you?"

The CD case had no paper pamphlet with it, but instead had a piece of tape with a title written in faded Kanji on it. It was even more faded than the one at home, but she knew the name well.

"'Sakana Ka Nanda Ka?'...I doubt I'd need to read the label to know what this is."

Kanan stood staring at it for a moment, then a smile crept onto her face. She opened the CD case with a soft click, then placing the CD into the player.

"What are you-" Kazuna started, but she cut herself short as Kanan held her arms out to her.

"Mom, do you want to dance with me?"

Kazuna nodded gleefully and put her hands in Kanan's. The two then danced the night away with the sound of Jazz swirling in the air, dancing together as mother and daughter.


	22. Chapter 22: White First Love

Chapter 22: White First Love

You woke up with a yawn, stretching her arms up at she sat upright in her bed. Turning to the bed next to her, she noticed Kanan wasn't there, the sheets pushed aside indicating she was already up and about. After getting herself dressed, she headed downstairs to find the lingering smell of breakfast. Checking the kitchen, she found that there was a small breakfast prepared for her on the counter.

" _Seems like she's out for a jog."_ You observed. " _Might as well dig in."_

After a quick breakfast, You headed outside and took a deep inhale of the cool morning air. As she headed down the stairs, her attention was drawn to the sound of approaching footsteps. Kanan jogged up to her, smiling lightly to herself.

""Heeeey!" You called to her with a light wave of a hand. Kanan slowed her pace, coming to an abrupt stop beside her.

"Morning!" Kanan began. "Did you see the breakfast I left out for you?"

"Yep! I was surprised it was still warm, but it was quite delicious. What better to wake up to on our last full day here."

"I know right? It feels like we've hardly been here that long." Kanan said in a somewhat sad tone. "I'm going to miss this place."

"I'm just glad we get to send off Milagro together. I don't really get why we have to do it tomorrow morning, but I guess Kazuna has her reasons."

"I think she wants that to be our send-off. We have plenty of time before our flight tomorrow, so she must've wanted to spend all the time she can with me...no, with us."

"Mmm."

The two lightly jogged down to the center, seeing the van that Shanna and Nate usually took in already parked. That was usually the case, the two of them always got to work before the two girls did. Despite his carefree dorky nature, Nate was actually an early riser. Heading inside, they noticed a strange absence of anyone in the lobby. Walking towards the big tank room where Milagro was kept, she noticed both Shanna and Nate standing next to her tank. Noticing her come in, they both turned around with a wave.

"Hey, You!" Nate called out. "Check it out, I have a normal outfit today."

You stood wordlessly, her only reaction being her eyebrows raising slightly with an unimpressed expression.

"W-What did I do wrong this time? I have a plain blue shirt, plain blue pants, blue socks, heck even my-"

"Please don't finish that sentence."

"Ok, sorry. B-But I didn't try to do any getup this time!"

"First of all the blue stands out like a sore thumb, second, your shirt is on backwards."

Tugging forward on his collar, Nate realized a white tag was sticking straight up at his neck.

"I guess that explains why the neck part felt a bit tight."

You groaned and put a hand to her face in disbelief at his incompetence. Taking the opportunity, Shanna nudged him with her elbow with a teasing grin.

"Aww, Nate's trying to impress a girl!"

"W-W-What!? N-N-No, it's not like- I mean-"

Shanna bust up laughing and patted him on the back.

"Oh Nate, please never change."

"H-Huh!? W-What did I do!? I'm not trying to hit on her, I swear!"

Kanan nudged him in a likewise manner, sharing the same smug face.

"Maybe he dressed all in blue so he'd look like the ocean and impress her.~"

Nate mumbled a mess of syllables trying to come up with a coherent response, much to everyone else's amusement.

"We're only teasing you." Shanna comforted with a light pat on the back. Nate pouted slightly in response, clearly not amused by the whole situation. Turning to the tank, Kanan saw Milagro swimming around happily with her prosthetic flipper. She swam right up to Kanan, poking her head out of the water.

"Good morning sweetheart! Enjoying your new flipper?"

Shanna handed her a few lettuce leaves, which she gestured towards Milagro. The turtle happily munched at them, showing no signs of struggle.

"I'm amazed how fast that she's regained her strength." Nate commented. "Just in time for you to see her off!"

Kanan smiled as Milagro finished up her lunch and went back to swimming around the tank.

"I'm gonna miss her, but I'm glad I get to return her to where she belongs." Kanan said, leaning on the edge of the tank. "It makes me wonder...what my life will be like when I go back home."

"Wait, I'm confused." Nate admitted with a scratch behind his head. "I thought you were just going back to being an idol with everyone else. D-Did I miss something?"

"Big time." Shanna sighed. "Try putting yourself in her shoes for a moment. She's had a family issue lingering over her head for her entire life and only now has finally broken free of that."

"Actually, it's a bit more than that." Kanan abruptly admitted. "It's definitely a huge change, but I have someone else to consider too."

"You're talking about Mari, aren't you?" You asked. Kanan nodded and stepped back from the tank.

"She can't keep it to herself forever. One day she's going to have to tell them. It's just...this might sound rude but...I don't want to be the cause if things go south."

"Remember what I said before?" Shanna reassured. "If you spend all your time worrying about what-if's, you'll miss the chance of a lifetime. The longer she keeps this to herself, the more it'll eat her up. You've already kept her waiting for a month, if you want her internal suffering to end then you need to do something."

"Honestly, I agree with her." You added. "Mari was always the one to give the push, but this time it's your turn."

"I-I know I should but...I just can't bring myself to do it. I'm just too stubborn for my own good."

There was a brief moment of silence until, to everyone's surprise, Nate stepped forward.

"I don't think it's my place to tell you what to do, but honestly I think you need to learn to differentiate between rashness and taking necessary action. It's fine to be cautious, but you can't just push things off forever. Not to sound condescending but you wouldn't be here right now if I hadn't talked Kazuna into it."

"I hate to admit it, but he's not wrong." Shanna said with a shrug. "Nate purposely chose You to come here so he could convince her to bring along Kanan as well. I was standing outside her office while the two argued about it and I could hear every word they said. It was pretty heated, and lasted a good while too."

"I may be a goofball, but I act freely because I want to enjoy my life without a moment of regret." Nate stated with a surprisingly heavy tone. "Last time I worried but avoided doing anything, I stopped myself from making the most important phone call of my life!"

His fists were clenched by his side, a pained expression spread across his face. Beginning to tear up, he turned around and wiped his eyes with his sleeve as he wept softly to himself.

"Nate used to have an older sister, a good 6 years older than he was. When he was only 14, she committed suicide." Shanna revealed somberly. "He almost called her the night she took her life to ask how she was, but he decided against it. It's left him with a feeling of guilt that he's never quite shaken."

There was a moment of startled silence as Kanan and You stood stunned. The only sounds were of the gentle movement of the water in the tanks and Nate slowly composing himself with sniffs and pained exhales.

"Kazuna at first seemed like just anyone else to me, but I stayed because I understood how she felt. Whenever your name so much as crossed her mind, she'd have the same pained expression without fail. I recognized it as the same face I'd see whenever I looked in my bathroom mirror every morning: the face of guilt. Now however? She has the brightest smiles whenever your name is brought up. Kazuna regretted all that time she spent without so much as a greeting card to wish you well, I don't want to see you go down that same road."

There was another long pause, but this time Kanan put on a determined face and nodded.

"Alright, I'll do it. I promise you I'll tell Mari to do it."

Wiping away the last bits of tears, Nate recomposed himself and gave a goofy thumbs up.

"Now that's more like it!"

* * *

Carrying a bag full of sandwiches from the usual restaurant, Kazuna sat down at the table and began to hand them out. Looking around, she noticed Kanan's absence.

"Is Kanan coming?"

"Yeah, she's just calling up Mari right now." You replied. "Finally worked up the courage to tell her."

"That's excellent news!" Kazuna gleefully replied with a clap of her hands. "How long ago did she start the call?"

"It was about 15 minutes ago, roughly. It probably won't last much longer."

"Well I certainly hope she doesn't take too long." Kazuna replied as she dug into her sandwich. "Ihhb whhb bhh mhh shmmm mmph shmm mrssd lmmnch."

"We can't understand what you say if you talk with your mouth full." Shanna sighed with an amused smile. Kazuna took a second to finish the food in her mouth before she continued.

"Since it's our last lunch here together, it would be a shame if she missed it."

"Don't worry, I told her lunch was coming in a few when she started her call." You reassured. "I'm certain she'll be ready at any moment now."

Sure enough, roughly a minute later Kanan appeared in the doorway. Her face didn't look very promising, but it wasn't like the lost expression she had held earlier that trip.

"Something wrong?" Kazuna worriedly asked.

"No, not really. I was able to talk to Mari...she promised me she'd tell them."

"Was she going to tell them after your talk?" You asked.

"She...she said she wanted to build up the courage first. I'm just a little anxious is all."

"That's more than fair." Kazuna reassured as Kanan took a seat beside her. "Nobody here's saying you can't be."

"I guess it's just a waiting game, huh?" Added Nate. "I don't know how people deal with that kind of stuff. Whenever I get worried, I confront people as soon as I can about it. Maybe it sounds like I'm being a bit whiny but that's just how I am."

Kanan put her hands behind the back of her head and groaned.

"I know I should keep my mind off it when we're supposed to be enjoying our last day together, but still it's just hard to shrug off."

"Hey, I might have an idea to help you out." Kazuna added in as she took another bite of her lunch. This time however she made the effort to swallow her food before continuing. "What if the two of us went scuba diving later? I know the perfect spot to go diving where there's usually loads of fish!"

"I've been dying to do a bit of diving. All that time on the boat and hardly ever getting to dive off them, it was a bit frustrating to be honest."

"Sounds like a plan! Shanna, Nate, we might be out later so we're only going to take You along as the ship captain. Is that ok with you two?"

Nate and Shanna both nodded in agreement.

"I want to get up bright and early to send Milagro off, I could use an extra bit of sleep." Shanna added. "Besides, there's plenty of opportunities to go diving for me. Diving with your mom is a once in a lifetime experience."

"Looks like it's settled! Now without further ado, let's head out!"

Kanan stopped her from running off by placing a firm hand on her shoulder.

"We still have the rest of the work day to finish first, remember?"

"O-Oh, yeah, right." Kazuna laughed off. "My bad."

* * *

The engine's rumble quieted down as the boat came to a relative stop. They had traveled closer to the entrance to the Atlantic, in the waters between Spain and northern Africa. The setting sun shone over the vast expanse of water, glimmering a vibrant shade of orange. As You idled the boat, the calm lapping of the waves accompanied the peacefulness of the bay.

"There's usually large shoals of fish around here this time of year." Kazuna explained as she got her equipment put on. "There's all sorts of them, it's quite a miracle to behold!"

"A miracle, huh?"

Sitting on the edge of the boat, Kazuna and Kanan both put a hand on their respirators. They then rolled off the back of the boat and splashed down into the water in unison. As they gradually adjusted to the depth of the water, the two took in their surroundings. It was mostly rocks with bits of flat sand from place to place. There wasn't any fish in the immediate area, so Kazuna gestured for Kanan to follow her. As they swam along the rocky landscape, Kanan had flashbacks of her dream of the bleached corals and the ocean devoid of life. Perhaps out of curiosity she kept her eyes peeled on the areas below the rocks but saw not so much as a small stray crab here and there.

" _We are close to the fish, right?"_ She thought to herself. " _I wonder how far Kazuna is going to take me. Is she getting worried too?"_

Kazuna's face was obstructed by the side of her mask, preventing Kanan from picking up on any visual cues she may have shown. A glimmer of light out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, turning her head quickly to see what it was. Unfortunately for her, it was nothing more than an old piece of metal that had sunk deep into the water.

" _So much for a miracle…"_ Kanan thought pessimistically. It wasn't long before they came across a large bed of sand that seemed to stretch out quite a ways. Kazuna swam out towards it, the cliffs of rock fading into the murk behind them. Eventually Kazuna stopped, hovering near the seafloor. Kanan swam up to her, standing on the sandy seafloor and looking around her for any signs of life.

" _There's...nothing. Not even a single fish."_

Kazuna turned to her with a disappointed look and shook her head. Turning to her left, she began to swim over the desolate sand dunes. Kanan however just stood there on the ocean bottom with her eyes at her flippers now half buried in the sand.

" _I feel like an idiot."_ Kanan berated herself. " _What good is relying on miracles going to do me? We can only make so many miracles before one falls through, and Mari's going to suffer because of something stupid I tried. If I can't perform simple miracles like now, how can I expect to pull off anything else!? I'm so sorry Mari, I'm so sorry…"_

Kanan began to feel her eyes start to water, but she snapped back to attention when she noticed her mother's strange behavior. She seemed to be pointing frantically with her eyes wide with...something. Fearing the worst, Kanan quickly spun around to try fending off whatever was there.

" _D-Don't tell me...there's a shark!?"_

Much to her surprise, she turned around to see a massive creature coming straight towards her. As it got nearer and nearer, the shadow grew larger and larger.

" _That size...that's no shark…"_

As the creature swam up to her, she was greeted with a massive head with barnacles covering it from place to place. Otherwise, it was black all over and had a massive closed mouth that arced up the sides. Kanan was face to face with a North Atlantic Right Whale. She reached out a hand and placed it on the snout of the massive creature, right below a large barnacle colony. The whale hummed in a low tone, echoing through the water around her like an instrument in a concert hall. If it weren't for her respirator, Kanan would've had her mouth hanging open in a huge smile. She petted the massive animal who acted carefully to not hurt them, clearly fascinated by their presence. Kazuna stood off at a distance, allowing Kanan to soak up the experience. Placing her head to the whale's, Kanan smiled confidently.

" _I may not be one to rely on the concept of fate...but somehow I feel more confident now. Thank you Mr. or Mrs. whale, you gave me the confidence I need to keep going on. I won't let Mari down, no matter what!"_

* * *

Kanan wrapped a towel around herself, drying off after a warm shower. Throwing on some PJs, she headed back to her bedroom for the night. She paused just as she was going to enter, hearing a voice on the other side. She peered through the door which was open just a crack, seeing You standing at the window. She leaned against the wall in front of it, staring up at the night sky.

"I'm a bit sad I'll be leaving tomorrow, but this trip was one of the most fun things I've ever done while being with Aqours! I can't imagine how much this meant to Kanan, meeting up with her mother and all. She even saw a Right Whale today! I remember how you said you felt bad every time you'd hear about whales being killed for use by people...it's a breath of fresh air to see something like this instead. I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous."

You stood there a few moments in silence, resting her head against the window frame.

"I guess this must've been how she felt, huh? Without a parent you want to be with you…" You's tone dipped for a moment as she trailed off. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for her. Really happy in fact. I just...I miss you dad."

" _Has she been doing this for long?"_ Kanan wondered. " _I don't really remember quite well, but I definitely left her plenty of opportunities to be alone by herself."_

"I would never admit it to Kanan, but I wasn't sure about what to do with Mari at first either. I know what it's like to lose a parent, but to imagine you suddenly not loving me anymore...I'd be heartbroken. Shanna was right though, she's not going to be helped if she keeps internalizing her feelings. In fact, it made me realize that's probably how my mother feels. I still want to make her proud too...the last thing I want is for her to suffer alone. That's what I want for Kanan and Mari too...to live without worry that their parents won't love or accept them."

Kanan leaned against the wall outside as she kept on listening. She stared up at the ceiling with a touched smile spread across her face.

"I can't wait to see how everyone reacts when we tell them everything that's happened here. I'll tell you every little detail when I get back!"

Kanan waited a few minutes until You had finished talking to enter the room. You was tucking herself into bed, but looked up as Kanan entered.

"Tomorrow's our last day. You ready to head home?" You asked, her tone indicating she didn't expect Kanan to be. "I can't imagine how you must feel right now."

"It's pretty bittersweet, but I can accept it." Kanan replied as she headed over to her bed. "Part of me wants to spend more time with mom, but I also want to see that Mari will be ok. I'd best not keep her waiting, right?"

You nodded as she reached for the light on her bedside table.

"Goodnight, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright, goodnight to you too."

With a click, the room went dark. Before falling asleep, Kanan looked at the moonlight drifting in the bedroom window. Amidst the glow, she could see some stars up in the sky that shone over the hill. The light seemed to cascade over You, who seemed undisturbed by it whatsoever. Kanan smiled lightly to herself before falling asleep cuddled in her own sheets.

* * *

The gentle roar of a motor went unheard behind a torrent of distracting emotions. It was the next morning, the whole group gathered on the same boat they'd taken plenty of trips around the bay with during their trip. Sitting in the middle of the boat was a smaller tank in which Milagro was being held. Eventually, the boat's motor slowed and came to an eventual silence. Everyone sat there for a few moments, Nate eventually breaking the silence as he got out of the driver's seat.

"Alrighty, looks like it's finally time." Nate commented, somehow appearing passable. He wore a shirt with a turtle on it, the rest of his outfit an ugly solid green color. Kanan stood up and walked over to the turtle's side. Milagro looked back up at her as she smiled bittersweetly in return.

"It's time for you to be free now." she cooed. Everyone got up and stood by her as she prepared to pick Milagro up. "Hey mom, you should pick her up too. I want us to do this together."

Kazuna nodded, reaching down into the tank with Kanan and picking her up by each side. Milagro struggled a bit at first, but she calmed down fairly quickly so it was easier to handle her. Moving over to the rear of the boat, they placed the turtle just over the water's surface.

"You ready mom?"

"Yeah, all set to go."

Together, they gently placed Milagro down in the water. With a gentle combined nudge, they let Milagro swim free. Taking off, the whole group's faces lit up as they saw her swimming well through the water.

"Go, Milagro! You can do it!" Kanan yelled to the wind as she watched the turtle swim off and disappear under the waves. Standing back up, Kanan held her hands together in bittersweet joy. She felt overcome by emotion, a mix of sadness, joy and relief all wrapped up into one.

"There's never a feeling quite like this one." Kazuna said. "I feel it every time I let a turtle go free...but this time it feels a bit more special. It's a miracle she came along, survived and gave us something to bond over. In a way, I guess she helped us a lot more than we helped her."

"I don't know about that!" Kanan laughed slightly. "But she definitely helped us out and I won't forget her as long as I live."

"I don't think any of us will." Shanna added. "Milagro wasn't your average turtle, and I'd know after how long I've been here. She's impacted more than just you two, I'll tell you that much."

Kanan nodded to herself, staring off at the lapping waves with a smile. The trip back was mostly quiet, everyone still in shock from the fact that Milagro was finally released. Since they needed to get to the airport on time, the girls changed out of their swimsuits and into their normal clothes almost immediately before heading to grab their stuff. Stopping at the entrance to the center, Shanna and Nate got ready to say goodbye to the girls.

"Well, I guess this is it." Shanna said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "That was a fun month you two, I'll never forget it!"

"Aw, come here you!" Kanan said as they wrapped each other in a tight hug.

"Who wants to hug the fashion nightmare?" Nate added, holding his arms out in a pose complete with a goofy smile.

"You're something else, you know that?" You teased, giving him a hug in return. When they finished, they swapped hugging partners.

"Go get 'er!" Shanna called as she waved them off.

"You're always welcome back here! We'll text youuuuu!" Nate called after them.

"We'll stay in touch!" You called back to them before walking off with Kazuna towards the car. The two went back into the building, taking one last look at them before gently shutting the front door. They had already packed the car earlier so Milagro would be the very last thing they'd do together. Kazuna stood with a sad look for a while before sighing lightly.

"Well...I guess this is goodbye."

"Yeah…" Kanan said awkwardly. They stood there a moment in silence, both of them struggling to find the right words. Kazuna frowned, letting her arms fall to her sides.

"It...It went by so fast...after all these years I spent away from you...to think you still loved me and-"

Kazuna stopped for a second and stuttered, trying to find the right sentence.

"Part of me knows I have to say goodbye again, but I...I don't want to! I wish I was there for you when you were little, and I know I don't deserve you now, and...and…"

Kazuna's stuttering stopped as she saw Kanan open her arms wide.

"That's the past. Right now, you're my mother and nothing will ever change that! Now come here and give me a hug!"

Kazuna let herself cry a bit as she hugged her daughter tight in a loving embrace. Kanan shed a tear herself as she held her dear mother tight for the last time in who knew how long. After a while, they finally let go and Kanan slowly climbed into the car. She gave one more wave goodbye before closing the door. The car roared to life and drove up and away from the center, Kanan looking in her rear view mirror as everything faded into the distance. She watched as Kazuna stood by her lonesome on the pathway until the car drove out of sight.

* * *

You stepped out of the car, greeted with a wave from her mother. Hopping out, she gave her a hug.

"Welcome home! Did you have fun on the trip?"

"Absolutely! I'll tell you all about it when I get inside!" You replied, running back to get her bags from the trunk. After shutting it with a slam, she carried her belongings over to the door.

"That was a lot of fun! See you tomorrow for practice!" She called.

"See you!" Called Kanan as she drove off, seeing You give her a Yousoro in the rear view mirror. She exhaled slightly through her nose with a slight smile.

" _That's our You."_

She had no intention of heading home just yet, in fact she was headed directly to Mari's house. Even though she had told her over the phone, she wanted to be there for her when she made the call.

" _I can pull off another miracle! After all, I am part of Aqours. If I wasn't carrying all my luggage in the trunk, I probably would have ran all the way there."_

Pulling up to Mari's house, she noticed a car on the inside of the gate. She turned on the pager, to which Mari's butler responded.

"Hello?"

"Sorry, but my mistress isn't receiving any guests at this time."

Kanan felt a wave of dread sink over her.

"W-What do you mean?"

"She's holding a private conversation right now. I'm afraid I cannot-"

"She's calling them now!?" Kanan exclaimed. "I'm her friend Kanan! Please let me see her!"

"I'm sorry, but I was given direct-"

He cut himself off as another voice on the end talked to him away from the phone's range of clear audio. It was only for a moment, but Kanan had a feeling who it was.

"Actually, you've been granted special permission. My sincerest apologies."

The gate opened with the sound of lightly squeaking metal. Driving in, she parked next to the other car and ran inside. The butler hardly had the time to open the door before barely dodging Kanan who hurtled through the doorway.

"Dia! Why didn't you tell me she was doing it now!?"

"If you wanted her to wait for you, you should've told us ahead of time!" She lightly scolded. "She's up in her bedroom right now, we can wait for her just outside."

Kanan nodded, swallowing in nervous anticipation. They headed past the startled butler, readjusting his tie and combing his hair after being startled. They walked up the winding staircase, navigating the various hallways until they reached Mari's bedroom door. Kanan took a deep breath, trying to reassure herself.

" _Everything will be fine. It'll be fine."_

"Just keep a clear head, ok?" Dia encouraged. "The last thing we need is to make things worse."

"What do you mean by that!? I can hardly think about anything else! No, I CAN'T think of anything else!"

"O-Of course I'm calm!" Dia stuttered, scratching her mole. "She'll be fine, ok?"

" _Everything will be fine."_ Kanan repeated in her mind. " _It'll be-"_

Kanan's thoughts were interrupted as the door crept open. Opening it wide, Mari stood in tears clutching her phone. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw Kanan, standing there a moment before tackling her in a hug. Despite this, Kanan couldn't bring herself to hug back. All she could do was stand in stunned silence, her face awash with extreme guilt.

" _Oh god...I screwed up, didn't I? Please tell me this isn't true…"_

"O-Oh, Kanan…" Mari sobbed lightly. "W-Why…?"

" _I screwed up her life...my best friend's life in screwed up because of me…"_

"Why did I spend all that time worrying?"

Kanan snapped out of her trance, looking down at Mari in surprise.

"W-Wait...you don't mean-"

"I got everyone worked up over nothing! I'm so sorry Kanan...I know I must've weighed down heavily on your mind."

Kanan finally returned her hug, hugging her tightly. She let tears of relief roll down her face as she held her dear friend in her arms.

"You always weigh on my mind, but not because you do anything wrong. I just want you to live the best life you can! Just know I'll always be here for you, ok?"

Mari stopped weeping for a moment to whisper an acknowledgement into Kanan's chest. Dia gave them a bit of space as she smiled in relief.

* * *

The moonlight reflected gently off the bay in front of Kanan's store. Mari and Kanan stood side by side, gazing out over the bay. Kanan took in the familiar scent of the Uchiura sea, which strangely enough seemed to smell a bit different that the Meditarranean.

"It's crazy to think I'm home after all that's happened." Kanan admitted. "So many big life moments have happened to me in just one short month. I even got to meet my mom for the first time since I was really little."

"What was she like?"

"Energetic. Kind. To be honest, a bit stubborn. Guess I got it from her, huh?"

Mari laughed a bit to herself.

"Oh Kanan, what would I do without you?"

"I'm not sure, but it probably wouldn't be as fun."

"You're definitely not wrong. You've given me such a fun filled, shiny life...thank you for that, Kanan."

Kanan paused a moment, taking in a deep breath quietly.

"Hey...Mari?"

"Yes?"

"I got you a little...souvenir while I was in Spain. Close your eyes, ok?"

"Why do you want me to do that?"

"Just do it, it's a surprise."

Mari shut her eyes, half-tempted to peek but deciding against it.

"Don't take too long!~"

"I won't, I won't."

Mari wondered to herself what it could be, but didn't really have the time to consider it.

"Ok, you can open your eyes now."

Opening her eyes, Mari looked down and gasped. Standing in front of her was Kanan, down on one knee and holding a velvet case in her hand. On the inside sitting in a soft white base was a gold-based ring with a beautifully cut emerald adorning it. Kanan seemed to glow along with it in the moonlight, her face turning somewhat red around the cheeks.

"Mari Ohara...will you marry me?"


	23. Chapter 23: Too Fluffy For Me

Chapter 23: Too Fluffy For Me

She wasn't sure why, but panic had set in on her mind. She wasn't sure why, but she was running from something in the woods. Karla's breath was ragged, her rhythmic footsteps pounding away down the cold forest trail. It was too dark to see around her well, but the faint moonlight shining through the trees gave just enough light to give an eerie glow to the forest around her. Eventually she came to a clearing, stopping to catch her breath and rest her leg muscles that were screaming at her.

" _W-Where am I!?"_ Karla thought as her mind raced. " _It's so cold...please, someone tell me what's going on!"_

She looked around frantically, turning her head with a startled squeal as some rocks began to crumble nearby. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized where she was.

" _T-That cliff...that's where Flora-"_

Goosebumps ran up her spine as she heard the sound of an exhale behind her. Spinning around quickly, she assumed a fighting stance. Not a soul was there, but a thick fog began to roll in up to her ankles.

"Why…" Echoed a disembodied voice through the woods. "Why did you…"

The voice repeated itself from direction after direction, making Karla unintentionally step backwards towards the ledge. Suddenly, Karla felt something grab hard onto her shoulder. Turning her head with a terrified whimper, she saw that it was bloody and disfigured. She heard the gentle pattering of blood hitting the ground as the figure's head came into view. A large stone was dug into their skull that was coated in blood. Their face was mostly battered and scarred, but it paled in comparison to the glowing snake-like pupils adrift amidst murky black eyes.

"No...this can't be...you're dead! I know you're dead!" Karla rambled in fear.

"Why...did you...let me die?" Flora choked out in a ragged voice. "Tell me...Tell me…"

Her repetitive phrase grew more threatening as Flora gripped harder and harder. Karla tried to back away, but Flora's grip was too strong. Her hand moved up her shoulder and onto her throat, causing Karla to start choking.

"I'm begging you…" Karla gasped. "Please don't kill me...It was an accide-"

With cold heartless eyes, Flora pushed her backwards and released her grip. Karla began to fall off the very same cliff Flora had died on, but instead of being met with sharp rocks she was met with an endless pit of darkness. Reina stood up on the cliff and stared down at the helpless Karla that plummeted downwards. She wailed helplessly as her screams of horror faded into the dark abyss.

* * *

The raindrops fell hard outside as a soaked Yoshiko trudged her way up to the entrance of the studio. She decided not to ride her bike in the downpour, remembering her whole ordeal last time she'd tried it.

" _Guess I was crazy to think my umbrella would protect me from the rain...it certainly didn't protect me from that truck!"_ She thought in annoyance. By some miracle she was actually early, possibly because she wasn't dealing with bike problems. She always gave herself a half hour buffer of time to make sure she was on time for practice, but unfortunately her usual bad luck would eat away at it faster than she usually hoped. Stepping into the studio, she noticed that it was mostly dark.

" _Am I the first one here? That's pretty unusual. I'm almost never first! Could my luck be shifting!?"_

Yoshiko chuckled lightly to herself and struck a pose.

"At last! Fallen angel Yohane has surpassed luck itself! My power grows ever stronger!"

"Actually, practice was cancelled for today." came a voice in the studio, startling her. Karla leaned against the wall with her arms folded, her face looking utterly unsurprised.

"You're joking."

"You really should check your email before you head out." She stated plainly, opening her own phone to show Yoshiko the email in question.

"Uaah! I came here early and it was all for nothing!" Yoshiko complained aloud, running her hands through her hair furiously. "Now I have to walk all the way back through the rain!"

"You could still hang out here, you know." Karla suggested. "There's showers so you can warm up and avoid catching a cold. You might as well stay until the rain stops coming down."

"I guess you're right." Yoshiko muttered as she went to put her umbrella away. She paused almost immediately however, turning her head back around in confusion and giving Karla a speculative look. Karla raised her eyebrows slightly, maintaining her relaxed expression.

"Something wrong?"

"If you knew class was cancelled, how come you showed up?"

"I've got some paperwork to fill out. With so many of you working on Mari and Kanan's wedding plans, Aqours isn't exactly doing any 'activities' for the most part."

"What's that got to do with paperwork?"

"It doesn't really. I just keep doing my job whether or not anyone else does."

"Do you...not like it?"

"It's not that I dislike it! I just feel kinda lonely without anyone to talk to. And don't you dare tell anyone else I told you that or I'll break your wrist."

"Jeez, calm down!" Yoshiko said as she backed slightly away nervously. "You are joking right?"

"Maybe, maybe not. You can test your luck but I know you have quite the losing streak." She teased. Yoshiko gave a quick hmph and headed off to the showers. Karla walked back into her office, standing by the window and staring out across the city. Her face remained without expression, listening to the raindrops splatter against the sidewalk far below. A flashback ran briefly through her mind, causing her to step back and hold her arm nervously. She glanced over at her pile of completed paperwork sitting neatly on her desk. Glancing around the room, she realized that everything was organized too.

"Maybe I shouldn't have used paperwork as an excuse…"

* * *

Heading out of the bathroom, Yoshiko went back to where Karla had been with a spare pair of practice clothes. Dia had gotten everyone a pair in case they were needed in situations like this.

" _I guess I owe her one."_ She thought with a relieved look. " _I wonder if Karla has a pair."_

Karla was absent from her usual position, and a glance inside her little office showed no sign of her. Nothing but her phone sitting on the desk.

" _I guess she must still be here. Maybe she went to grab some breakfast?"_

Heading outside the studio, she noticed Karla standing at the railing and looking out into the rain. She was just barely out of range of the water that dripped down from above.

"Getting some fresh air?"

Karla blew a poof of smoke and lowered her cigarette for a moment.

"Huh?"

"N-Never mind, just curious."

"I can't smoke inside or I'll set off the alarm. Just wanted to relax for a bit."

"Do you smoke often? You're not the frequent smoker, at least to my knowledge."

"Not always, just whenever I need a little stress reliever."

"Did something happen?" Yoshiko asked worriedly.

"No, not really. Just...work I guess."

"You don't need to take it all upon yourself." She advised. "Keep in mind, it's why the other interns quit to begin with."

"You're sure it wasn't because of Timothy's suicide? That definitely unsettled me."

"Well...that was part of it, but you did so much work yourself that the other girls didn't feel like they were doing anything worthwhile. Dia told me they said that right on the resignation forms."

"Work is work. I'd rather be doing something rather than sitting around doing nothing. Besides, I need all the money I can get."

Yoshiko noticed her tone shift slightly as she said the last sentence, but decided against questioning it.

"It seems like everything here is perfect. If you'd like to head home early you can go ahead."

"I'd...rather stay here for the time being. I have somewhere I need to be later today, and it's closer from here than from home."

"Alright, if that works better for you then I won't stop you. I'm just gonna hang out until the rain lets up. Call me if you need anything!"

Karla didn't verbally respond, letting Yoshiko run back inside. She blew another cloud of smoke in a long sigh as she clutched her arm tightly with her free hand.

* * *

"Why am I not surprised." Dia sighed into her phone.

"I just forgot to read an email, that's all! I was so busy getting out the door I wasn't even thinking about it!" Yoshiko protested.

"Be glad I bought you those spare clothes or you might've been sick for the wedding."

"Y-Yeah…"

Yoshiko knew trying to argue with Dia wouldn't get her anywhere.

"Shopping for the wedding going well?"

"Yeah, Riko's helping Mari out and You with Kanan. Since they want to keep their outfits a surprise until the big day, they decided to shop separately. Kanan decided that she wanted to wear a tuxedo too, so there's all sorts of special requests that she needed to ask for."

"It's their big day, who's to blame her for wanting to do something special?"

"Mmm. So anyway, was there something you wanted to ask me about?"

"Can I uh...get a lift home? I don't want to get soaked again."

"Isn't Karla there? She should be in today organizing like usual."

"She was here earlier, but she left me a little note saying she had to be somewhere today. From what I could tell, she already organized everything that needed organizing."

"Did she say where she was going exactly?"

"No idea. She didn't specify."

"It's not really like Karla to suddenly leave like that, but I assume things come up."

"Should I try calling her?"

"You can just ask her tomorrow, if she had to leave suddenly she's probably busy."

"Yeah…"

"Something wrong? You sounded a bit concerned."

"N-Not at all! A fallen angel has no time for such trivial human emotions!"

"Fallen angels can still catch colds. I'm a bit preoccupied with getting my leg strength back, so I'll try getting you a ride as soon as I can."

"Thanks…"

Dia hung up, leaving Yoshiko to look around the empty office she was sitting in. Staring out the window at the downpour, her mind began to drift.

" _Karla isn't one to be visibly shaken by most things, usually she's super laid back."_ Yoshiko worried to herself. " _I should probably ask her in private about it. Whatever's going on, she's definitely stressing big time over it."_

* * *

Mari snuggled against Kanan as the group sat around the couches at Mari's house. The group had gone there to discuss what they were planning to do going onwards on top of just relaxing and having some fun. Despite her appearing somewhat anxious, Karla was also brought along too.

"You're just as big as I remember you!~" Teased Mari as she rested her head against the side of Kanan's chest.

"I'll sue you."

"So what's this meeting about?" Yoshiko asked. "We could always have used the studio."

"Being formal and stiff all the time is boriiiiing!" Mari protested. "We really need to just relax and have some fun once in a while!"

"I agree completely!" Chika chimed in. "I've been wanting to celebrate your engagement by doing some fun stuff together!"

"Chika-chan, shouldn't we be getting her some sort of engagement gift?" You asked. "I'm not too tight on funds right now, and it's the least I can do!"

"Oh, right! I wonder if I can find a cute pin to put on their bags as a matching pair!"

"I'm...not sure people give those kinds of gifts as engagement gifts." Riko pointed out. "A lot of gifts you'd usually give would be like silverware or...what else would you give?"

"You really don't need to do anything like that Riko." Kanan reassured. "Honestly, I think Chika's idea would be adorable! We really don't need dishes."

"Riko, Mari's super rich." You pointed out. "She's got much more than enough silverware at her disposal, in fact it would be more like a gift for the butler if anything."

"I guess that's true."

"Hey Karla, do you wanna join in on gift giving too?" Chika said.

"M-Me?" Karla said in surprise, pointing at herself.

"Yeah! I doesn't need to be much, just something with a bit of you put into it!"

"I...I think I'll have to pass." Karla said as she held her arm unconsciously. "Sorry."

"You don't need to feel obligated to do it." Kanan reassured. "Just showing up to our wedding is more than enough to satisfy me."

"It's not that I don't want to do it, I'm just...short on cash right now."

"I could lend you some if you want!" Chika offered. "I really don't mind at all!"

"No no, I...I couldn't ask for your money. It wouldn't really be a gift from me if you're the one buying it."

"You sure?"

"Y-Yeah...sorry."

"Is that what you were worried about the other day?" Yoshiko asked bluntly. "If you need more cash I can definitely up your wages."

"N-No, it's fine. I can manage." Karla sputtered unconvincingly. "I'd hate to rely on you to bail me out of every little issue I face."

"If it's that big a deal to you, we're happy to-" Yoshiko started.

"Can we just drop this conversation?" She cut in passive aggressively. There was a moment of awkward silence before Karla turned her head away shamefully.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to raise my voice…"

* * *

Yoshiko couldn't sleep. Her pestering thoughts kept her from drifting off, making her roll back and forth in her bed. Glancing over at Karla, she noticed she was tossing and turning in her sleep. There was an anxious look on her face, but she didn't seem to be bothered enough to be roused from her sleep. Yoshiko eyed her worriedly for a few moments before getting up to use the bathroom. Once she had finished up, she headed back out into the hallway. Much to her surprise, Dia was standing there beside the door.

"Uaah!" Yoshiko yelped in surprise. "You startled me!"

"Sorry to startle you, I just needed to talk to you about Karla if that's ok."

"I'm not sure there's much else I can provide you with." Yoshiko admitted. "I've told just about all there is to know about her. I'm as in the dark as the rest of you."

"That's not quite what I meant."

"What else could you mean?" Yoshiko wondered aloud curiously. "Do you mean like speculation?"

"Sort of. I've been keeping an eye on her since the day she joined in secret. She almost always is one of the last of us to leave, usually killing time re-sorting things over and over again. For what reason I'm not sure, but she's definitely doing it intentionally. Do you know if she has a bad home life?"

"She's living in a small apartment, but as far as I know, she lives alone."

"Has she ever talked about her family to you?"

"Basically never. She doesn't like to talk about them."

Dia folded her arms and narrowed her eyes.

"Do they act hostile towards her? If they are, they don't deserve an ounce of remorse." She thought aloud, coldly. "People who care about nobody but themselves will only serve to make others suffer."

"Well that's awfully pessimistic." Yoshiko remarked.

"It's not pessimistic, it's realistic." Dia retorted sharply. "People raised without care will not reciprocate what they haven't received themselves. Those abandoned may develop attachment issues, those spoiled by the world will expect to be spoiled further, so on and so forth. If she's having issues with her family, it may come down to the question of cutting ties with said family."

"H-Hey now, that's a bit extreme, don't you think?" Yoshiko stuttered as she stepped back uncomfortably.

"I'm only telling you this in case you have to prepare for the worst." Dia reassured. "If you want to help your friend, you're going to need to bear the weight of their struggles on your shoulders. Are you prepared for that, Yoshiko?"

"Yo-ha-ne!"

"Are you?" She repeated in a firmer tone. Yoshiko paused a moment, averting her eyes to the side as she eventually nodded.

"I-I'll do what I can."

"It might sound rude to say, but your own mental health is your utmost priority." Dia added in a calmer tone. "There's no right answers for helping people, so it's important to take a step back and let things play out sometimes."

"Step back? What good will leaving her to suffer alone do anyone?" She retorted sharply. "I refuse to just sit back and let people hurt themselves!"

"I'm not telling you to let her suffer. I'm telling you to know your boundaries and assess the situation rationally."

"What, and telling her to abandon her family is rational to you!?"

"I'm not telling you to make her do anything." Dia said in a louder firmer tone. "I'm just saying you don't know what could be affecting her. There's only so much that you can do to help, and giving her rash advice could only serve to make things worse in the long run. Do you understand me?"

"Y-Yes, I do."

"Good. Now get some rest, we have a long day ahead of-"

Dia was cut short as a terrified scream came echoing down the hall. Dia quickly ran back towards the others, Yoshiko following closely behind. Reaching the other room, they saw everyone standing up in dazed confusion.

"What's going on!?" Dia demanded.

Karla was sitting upright with her hands clutched tightly together against her chest. Her eyes were widened fearfully and she working to slow her panicked breathing. Dia kneeled down in front of her, holding both her shoulders.

"What happened?" She asked without her surprised tone from moments ago.

"S-Sorry…" Karla panted as she regained her breath. "I just...I had a nightmare…"

"Jeez, was it really so scary you had to scream bloody murder?" Kanan sleepily complained.

"I...I'm sorry. I think I might need to be alone for a bit." She muttered. She stood up and ran past everyone without another word, leaving everyone else to sit stunned in the room for a long period of awkward silence.

"I'm gonna go talk to her." Yoshiko said as she began to march after her. Dia didn't stop her, but she exhaled through her nose with mild disapproval.

"Let her go Dia, she'll be alright." Kanan reassured, pausing to yawn aloud. "If she's going to vent to anyone, it'll be her."

Dia sighed heavily before walking back towards the bathroom.

"I gotta admit, I had no idea you could sprint that fast with your new leg." Kanan half-teased.

"Forwards and backwards I have little problem controlling it. It's sideways that can be a bit tricky. You don't need to spare your worry on me, I'm doing much better."

"Who knows, maybe you could start dancing soon!" Kanan encouraged enthusiastically. "I really thought we'd be unable to dance as a group again, but it seems a bit of luck was on our side, huh?"

"Yeah, perhaps." Dia responded with fake enthusiasm, scratching her chin out of sight.

* * *

"Oh come on, where is she?" Yoshiko said softly to herself as she walked around the top floor of the house. "I know I heard her come up here."

Her attention was drawn to the sound of humming from one of the balconies that overlooked the water. Sneaking quietly around the corner, she saw Karla leaning on the railing staring off into space. Yoshiko was about to approach when she spoke up.

"Didn't I say to leave me be?" She said in a tired voice. "Why do you have to pry into my business so much?"

"I can tell you're upset about something."

"So what? We all feel a bit down every now and then. I just had a bad dream is all, you can let it go."

"Karla, I-"

"Please go back to bed. I can deal with this myself."

"You mean with your family?"

Karla fell silent, leaning on the railing and tensing up. She exhaled in a frustrated anxious sigh.

"Let me guess, you think I've got some sort of horrible mom or dad don't you?" She said aggressively. "Some sort of worthless drunkard or something?"

"I-"

"They weren't anything like that, don't you ever insinuate they are, do you understand me?"

"But I didn't-"

"I may be an asshole but I'm not a fucking idiot. I can put two and two together. Both my parents were always there for me and each other, they loved each other dearly and that never changed! It's not my dad's fault that he couldn't save her from-"

Karla cut herself off as she began to choke up. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve, letting out a labored breath as she attempted to recompose herself. Letting her arms fall to her side, she began to open up.

"When I was still in High School, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, we were so poor that we couldn't afford the medical expenses. My father worked as hard as he could and worked job after job to get enough money to pay for treatments...but he worked himself so hard he could barely stand at the end of the day. He was driving home from a late night shift when he suddenly passed out at the wheel from overexertion. He survived the crash, but he struck another car and killed its driver. He was sentenced to 10 years of prison for involuntary manslaughter. We would never be able to afford her medical expenses, and we had no relatives to ask for help, so she...she...put all the money my dad had made into my college savings."

"Karla…"

"My dad was...never the strong type. His mother had gotten pregnant with him just before his dad went off to fight in World War II. He was killed in combat, and my grandmother was stuck raising him alone. She was bitter towards him and used to say that he ruined her life, going so far as to abuse him from time to time. She died of heart complications due to overdosing before I was born. My mother was the kindest soul you'd ever have met, she took him under her wings and gave him happiness despite him feeling he didn't deserve it. I just...I want to make my dad proud of me...to have something to be proud of me for that I can be proud of too. Heh, but like that's ever gonna happen."

Yoshiko stood wordless, taking her time processing the bombshell she'd just had dropped on her. Her mouth sat slightly parted for a bit, closing only as she got an idea.

"Karla...do you want to be a school idol?"

Karla turned around, a confused look crossing her face.

"Do you want to become a part of Aqours?"

Karla stood there with a blank expression for a few seconds, then suddenly bust up laughing.

"W-What!? I meant that you know!" Yoshiko replied irritably.

"Sorry Sorry, I can't help myself." Karla apologized through her giggling. "It's just...I can hardly imagine myself as an idol. The cutesy outfits, the happy-go-lucky songs, it all seems too fluffy for me."

"Fluffy?" Yoshiko asked, trying to mask that she felt a bit insulted by the remark.

"My musical taste isn't like most of yours. I don't have any interest in any of those bubbly cheery songs, I tend to listen to much darker and depressing kinds of songs."

"So you're edgy?" Yoshiko teased.

"Says the self-proclaimed fallen angel."

"Wha- Yohane is indeed a fallen angel! If you continue to insult my name, I will be forced to call upon my legion of little demons!"

"Whatever you say, Yoshiko~."

"Yo-ha-ne!"

"Don't get me wrong, I didn't come with you so I could try being some sort of idol. I came with you because you gave me a chance to be self-sufficient. I'm never going to be a smash hit, and I'm ok with that. All I want is to be someone who'll be worth a damn."

She walked over to Yoshiko and gave her a double pat on the shoulder before walking past her.

"I really appreciate what you're doing for me, just let me be my own woman, ok?"


	24. Chapter 24: Karla's Miracle

Chapter 24: Karla's Miracle

Shutting the door with a quiet click, Karla stepped into her apartment. She held a small bag of groceries over her shoulder, walking over to the fridge to put what she had inside. Sighing lightly, she put her bag onto the counter where she normally kept it. She picked up a novel from inside of the bag and walked into the living room. The room was empty, so she turned down a hallway until she got to a door. She knocked gently twice on the door with the back of her hand.

"Can I come in Dad? I'm home."

A soft noise came from behind the door, but it was enough to make out as a mumbled response. She opened the door and walked inside. Her dad sat upright in bed, a pitiful look in his amber eyes. Karla kept the same expression, masking the crushing feeling in her gut.

" _I hate when you give me that look. I know I remind you of my mom, you could at least try to look encouraging."_

"T-Thanks for bringing me the book I asked for. I'm sorry if it was out of your way."

"It's fine, it really wasn't."

"Sorry, if only I wasn't such a wreck I'd save you the trouble…"

"No need to overthink it. Did you get any rest today?"

"I was worried about a bunch of swirling thoughts, couldn't get any sleep. I know you wanted me to rest up, figures I'd somehow screw up relaxing. I'm sorry."

Karla ignored his comment and handed him the book.

"This'll take your mind off of it. I'm going to go lay down for a bit. I'll start making dinner after that, ok?"

She turned to leave, but her dad stopped her for a second.

"Hey...Karla?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you...enjoy your job? What was their names again? Sorry, I completely forgot."

"Aqours. They're an idol group."

"Right, sorry. Do they treat you nicely?"

"Yeah. They're all nice to me. Especially this one girl named Yoshiko. She's nice."

"Are they like musicians? Like how you used to be when you were younger?"

Karla tightened her lips, her back turned to her dad so he couldn't see her face.

"No. They're not like that at all."

"O-Oh. Sorry, I thought that-"

"Don't stress yourself out over it, will you? A bit of reading should help you feel better."

Without another word, Karla shut the door behind her. With an irritated look, she walked back towards her room with a heavy exhale through her nose.

" _Like musicians? Oh please, at least I used to put emotion into my songs. Soulless corporate music doesn't compare to anything with an ounce of love put into it. Those girls are too naive to see what idols really are."_

* * *

"Hey everyone! I have the composition finished!" Riko called as she brought her laptop into the discussion room. She placed it down at the head of the table, everyone crowding around it to get a better look. Karla stood off to the side, only partially interested.

"Show me! Show me!" Chika said excitedly.

"Here's what I have so far." Riko said as she played a small sample. The medley rose with a synth composing the background instruments.

"Oooh!" Chika said excitedly. "What should we call the song?"

"Well it's supposed to be a happy song, so what should we call it?"

"Hmm...aha! What about 'Jump Up HIGH!' for the name?"

" _That has to be the stupidest name I've ever heard."_ Karla thought to herself. " _No way is that going to-"_

"I think it sounds great!" You burst in. "Let's do it!"

" _Y-You're serious!?"_

"Chika, do you have any direction you want to take with this?"

"Yeah! Since the song makes you wanna get up and move, I wanna add some fitting lyrics!"

" _Sounds more like I'd wanna get up and find a trash can to vomit in."_

"Something wrong Karla?" You asked her out of the blue. "You've been sneering at the window for a solid minute now."

"O-Oh, sorry. It's nothing. I just saw a...a seagull."

"You were sneering at a seagull?"

"Y-Yeah! Greedy bastards do nothing but pester people and shit everywhere. It's disgusting."

"Uh...huh." You replied with a confused look on her face. "I didn't know you hated them so much."

"Of course I do! I hate those feathered pieces of-"

"Swear one more time and I'll kick you out of this room." Dia threatened, making a fist.

"S-Sorry…"

Karla went back to leaning against the wall, staring awkwardly at the monitor.

" _Riko wrote all that herself? What a waste of talent."_ Karla thought to herself. " _It's a shame she had to fall into idol hell."_

For some reason, a chill ran down her spine.

" _Why do I feel like I've heard that phrase before? It sounds eerily familiar. Might've been something Reina said at some point."_

* * *

Karla had offered to drive Ruby and You to the textile store to grab some fabric since the designated drivers (Dia and Mari) were both busy helping with preparing for the wedding. Driving down the mostly vacant streets, Karla talked with them to pass the time.

"So...what kind of costumes are you planning to make for this one?"

"Not really sure yet. I want to see what kind of material they have available to potentially make some cool designs out of!" You said excitedly.

"I hope they have something cute there!" Ruby chimed in. "It could give me some inspiration for a concept!"

"Concept?" Karla asked. "How do you work on designs anyway?"

"I have a little sketchbook full of design ideas!" Ruby said as she held it up proudly. "It's full of revisions, designs and notes for reference. I've kept every single one I've made with Aqours! I'll show you when we get there!"

"I mean, I dunno much about dresses. As you know, I tend to just prefer jeans or sweatpants most of the time. Keeps my legs warm."

"I hardly think about it at all." You added. "Usually I just get so pumped up I make enough energy with my body to warm me up!"

"I guess that's true. I always like to get in a bit of exercise to stay in shape. Helps if I'm working a part time job that requires heavy lifting. I'm lucky not to have that problem anymore, this job is mostly paperwork or driving from one place to another. Lets me work at my own pace."

"Hey, I have an idea!" You thought up with a snap of her fingers. "Why don't you join us for one of our practice sessions?"

"Wouldn't I be dancing to music though? I'm not really big on dancing, I'd much rather make music."

"We can just have Dia clap the beat of 1! 2! 3! 4!" You said as she replicated the rhythm with her own hands. "It'll just be dancing to the beat!"

"I dunno…"

"Oh? Is Karla being shy?" Ruby taunted slyly.

"I-It's not that I'm being shy!" Karla retorted in a flustered manner.

"Whatever you say, tsundere.~"

"Don't call me a tsundere! I'd just rather jog or something, ok?"

"Then why not go for a run after this?" You suggested. "We can run along the boardwalk! How does that sound?"

Karla thought about it for a second, her face turning to a sly grin.

" _I'm sure I've got way more stamina than any of them do. I exercise quite a lot, not to mention I used to play guitar so it's not like I'm skipping arm day either."_

"Karla? You're looking weird again."

"S-Sorry, just got lost in thought. Sure, I can go for a run afterwards!"

" _Heh, this sucker is gonna get what's coming to her!"_

* * *

"Come on Karla, we're almost to the pier!" You called out encouragingly.

"Wuh...Wait up…" Karla sputtered as she wandered like a zombie along the boardwalk. Seeing a bench, she plopped down to catch her breath. She hung her head down and breathed heavily with a look of shock on her face.

" _Am I out of shape or something, or is she just endlessly energetic!?"_ She wondered in bafflement. " _I'm over here melting into a puddle of mush and she's jogging like she's barely even started!"_

"Need a break?" You asked, sitting down beside her. "I have some water here if you need it."

"T-Thanks…"

Karla had forgotten her bottle back at the car, so she graciously took a swig of You's bottle. She normally would have hated the idea of doing this, but she was so tired and thirsty she didn't care. She handed it back to You, who put the bottle back in the small bag she held over her shoulder.

"Nothing like a good run, am I right?"

" _Please don't rub it in."_

"It's a really nice day out, isn't it? I'm glad you convinced me to run with you, Karla!"

"Y-Yeah." Karla stuttered as she started regaining her breath.

"Ahhhh..." You sighed as she smelled the ocean air around her. "These docks always relax me no matter how many times I come here."

"This place special at all for you?"

"It's where my dad used to come home when he was able to. You know, before he..."

Karla remained silent, but gave her a sympathetic look.

"When Chika helped me come to terms with it, I felt like somehow he still watches over me." You continued. "The wills of people gone still go on, don't you think so?"

"Mhmm." Karla agreed, avoiding eye contact.

"Say, you never really talk about your family. Are they doing all right?"

"I'd...rather not talk about. Sorry."

"Fair, fair, sorry for getting all personal and all."

"It's fine, just...I don't like to bring it up."

Their conversation was brought to a halt when a voice called out from the distance, catching their attention. You stood up and waved to the unfamiliar fellow.

"Ms. Watanabe! What brings you 'round here?" Smokey called out with a passive wave. "That a new friend of yours?"

"This is Karla, she's been our friend for a good while now!"

"Karla eh?" He said as he extended a hand. "Name's Smokey. Long time coworker and friend of Watanabe's old man."

Karla awkwardly stood up and gave him a handshake. He gave her a friendly grin after letting go.

" _There's something about him…"_ Karla thought to herself. " _He seems kindhearted, but he's got a sense of grit to him."_

"So, you a fan of idol stuff like your buds?"

"It's really...not my style." Karla shrugged off as she rubbed her arm. "The music always seems too...fluffy."

"Really?" You said in surprise. "I thought you liked it as much as the rest of us."

"It just feels...whatever. It's just not my thing, ok?"

"Well what do you like, lass?" Smokey asked.

"Stuff with themes, badass vocals, the like."

"The like?" You asked.

"Just an expression." Karla said. "I tend to prefer metal though."

"That purple and black hairdo certainly doesn't hide the punk vibes." Smokey half-teased. "I'd be hard pressed to believe you haven't heard of Motörhead or something."

"There's nothing wrong with liking that!" Karla said defensively. "Jeez, you think I'm some kinda edge lord or something?"

"Heh, I ain't saying there's anything wrong with it." Smokey laughed off. "I used to be into rock songs and stuff when I was younger, but I've mellowed out to some of the more acoustic stuff."

"I could never get into metal." You admitted. "Always a bit too pessimistic for my taste...also they tend to have these overly gritty names."

"The hell you mean by 'overly gritty'?"

"I dunno. Names like...mega death or whatever."

"Excuse me, Megadeth is an amazing band!"

"Wait, that's actually a real name!?" You said in surprise.

Smokey couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh.

"You two are quite at odds, how did you even come to be friends to begin with?"

"Well I…" Karla began. She hesitated a moment before continuing. "Another member of the group, she...saved my life. I work as their manager now."

"Well good on ya lass!" Smokey encouraged as he patted her hard on the shoulder. "It's a shame you don't like idols though, there's no shame in giving things a try."

"..."

The conversation got interrupted by a buzzing in You's pocket. Taking out her phone, she gasped.

"Ah! We were supposed to be back at Mari's place by now! Dia just texted me asking where we are. Sorry Smokey, but we gotta run!"

"Nice seeing you two! Tell the others that ol' Smokey said hi!" He called out as he walked back down the dock in the opposite direction.

"Yousoro!" You called out as she began to run back the way they came. Karla trailed behind, doing her best to keep up.

" _Of course I like trying new things."_ Karla thought to herself. " _I just don't want to repeat what I know to be a path of suffering, that's all."_

* * *

Arriving back at Mari's house, Karla stepped out of the car and went around to grab some of the materials.

"Where are we taking the boxes?"

"Just to the main living room." You said, grabbing her box. "There's only a few, so me and Ruby can take them in."

Karla nodded, her feet too tired to complain about not having to help out. She would've held the door, but Mari's butler was already way ahead of her. The two girls carried in the boxes, Karla following behind as she put her keys back in her purse.

"Welcome back, it's a pleasure to see you all again." The butler said with a gentle bow.

" _We're here all the time, I'm surprised you aren't sick of us at this point."_

"We're baaaaack!" You called out as she brought in the boxes with Ruby. "We've got loads of stuff to help make things with."

Sitting along the couches next to a table was Yoshiko and Dia, who seemed to be pretty laid back.

"Jeez, about time you guys got here. Dia's been drumming her fingers on the table so hard, I could hardly think."

"Please try and manage your time you three!" Dia scolded. "We have a wedding to plan, let alone the new songs we need to put out."

"Yeah, yeah, sorry about that." Karla apologized. "I just got distracte-"

Karla froze mid-sentence. Her eyes focused on the side of the couch she didn't see coming in, or more specifically on who was sitting there. Staring back at her with a static surprised expression was Leah Kazuno. The two locked eyes with each other, both of them becoming awash with awkward twitching smiles.

"Eeeeeeeeeh!?" The two of them shouted in unison as they pointed at each other. "W-What is SHE doing here!?" they also said in unison.

"I uh-" Yoshiko began. She cut herself off as Karla and Leah turned their intense stares towards her. She jolted back slightly, averting her eyes with a guilty look.

"I wanted to get their help in crafting the next few songs since we're running out of time and people available. The wedding is making our songwriting process a lot more pushed for time." Dia explained. "I know you three have some beef with each other, but we don't have much of a choice."

"Oh come on, why did it have to be specifically them!?" Karla complained. "I worked with you bunch because I have good faith you're good people, but I absolutely loathe those two!"

"We had to move to a different school, what did you expect us to do?" Leah defended. "Besides, we invited YOU to join OUR group because we were being nice! You were the one who got upset over something we couldn't help!"

"You knew that group meant the world to me!" Karla replied angrily. "I told you myself how shit my life was and you just left me to suffer! You never even bothered to mention to anyone anywhere that we used to be with you, not even when you stole Flora's lyrics for your own personal gain! Do you feel proud of taking credit for a dead girl's hard work!?"

"Oh stop it."

Turning around, Sarah walked in from the other room. Karla turned to her and grit her teeth.

"Tell me I'm wrong."

"We didn't want Flora's hard work to go to waste, that's all there is to it."

"And you expect me to believe that crap?"

"I don't. I'm just telling you the truth as it is."

Karla marched forward and grabbed Sarah by the front of her shirt, pulling her face uncomfortably close.

"You're ridiculous. I don't care what my position in this group is, I refuse to work with either of you. If I have to take on both your jobs at once I'd gladly do it if it meant kicking you two traitors back to Hakodate."

"Karla, that's enough." Dia scolded harshly. "I don't care what you think of those two, we needed help and they offered their help. If you can't deal with it, go make yourself useful somewhere else."

"This is bullshit!" Karla yelled as she stormed out of the living room and out the front door. The sound of the door slamming echoed throughout the room, followed by an intense silence. Sarah finally went over to the couch and sat down with a sigh.

"What do you want to do about it, Leah?"

"I'm...I'm going to go talk to her."

"Should I come with you?" Yoshiko asked.

"No. This is something I and I alone have to fix."

Leah got up and walked off after her, nobody making any attempt to stop her. When she too had left, Yoshiko spoke up.

"Was that really true?" Yoshiko asked Sarah. "You just didn't want it to be thrown away?"

"It was as simple as that, but Karla's not one to accept simple answers. She's willing to pursue an idea once it gets into her head, and there's little you can do to stop it. She may look like your average delinquent, but she just tends to look pessimistically at the world. After all she's been through, I can't really blame her."

"There's something I don't understand though." Yoshiko added in. "How come you never talked to her about continuing?"

"We tried. Flora and Reina weren't happy about us having to split, but they were encouraging enough with having us continue on our own. Karla on the other hand wasn't happy at all. Saint Snow, as she said just now, was like the world to her. We had a following and we might've even made it big were we not forced to change schools. Karla was the only one of them who stayed behind who could dance, but they were just too short on people to perform anything. She never told Karla, but Flora was the one who proposed for us to keep going."

"What was Flora like?" Yoshiko asked as she sat up straight, folding her arms. "All I remember was that she had this strangely outgoing demeanor."

"Yep, that's Flora for you." Serra said as she laughed a bit under her breath. "She reminds me of Mari to a degree, always one to try and cheer up those around her. She took Karla under her wing, helping her through some of the roughest times of her life. Karla confided in me once that she felt indebted to her. She wanted to give back to her somehow."

"Let me see if I'm understanding this right." Dia asked. "She felt indebted to Flora, and thus attempted to revive the band to 'give back' to her. If Flora wanted you to keep going, why didn't she tell Karla to stop her?"

"She didn't seem the slightest bit fazed when Karla admitted to tampering with her shoes at the show." Yoshiko added. "If she was for them, why didn't she stop Karla?"

"Flora was a good comforter but not good at breaking news. If she tried to tell Karla that splitting would be the right way, she would've felt betrayed and no doubt would've lashed out at her. Karla's temper is something else, and once she's been enraged she's not easy to calm down."

"I'd know, she tried to bash my head in with a guitar!" Yoshiko said as she looked away uneasily.

"Yep, that sounds like her." Serra admitted.

"Should I feel nervous that you aren't even phased by that?" Yoshiko said in nervous surprise. "I'm starting to really worry about Leah."

"She'll be alright. Besides, like she said, it's something she needs to do alone."

* * *

Leah walked down the street with an anxious look. Her eyes darted around as she looked for where Karla ran off, scared that she'd be attacked out of the dark.

" _Come on Leah, shake it off."_ She told herself as she slapped her cheeks. " _You have to do this. Just calm down and keep your focus."_

She put her hands in her pockets and tried to shrug it off, but her lip was still quivering.

" _I haven't been this nervous since that qualifier performance all those years ago...heck, I might be more nervous now. Am I really? I don't even know."_

Leah's confusion was shoved aside as she heard the distant sound of metal clanging in slow succession. She walked silently as she approached the sound, making her way down towards the docks. As she rounded a corner, she saw Karla standing alone, punching angrily at a street lamp that shone down on her like a boxer in the ring. Leah approached her quietly, a worried expression spread across her face. Eventually she stopped behind her, Karla failing to notice as she kept whaling away at the pole. After a couple seconds, Karla stopped herself mid punch and dropped her fist down to her side. She still clenched it but turned her head around slowly. Her eyes were narrowed and filled with rage.

"Karla..."

"You damn idols...you wouldn't know real music if it hit you on the head! Nothing but empty words, just like those promises you made me."

"You mean 'I'll help you find your place in the world', right?"

"Oh, so you do remember!" Karla said with a scowl. "I knew it. You just brought us along to promote yourselves and get all the sweet stardom you desired! I hope leaving me to die was worth it!"

"Flora told us to continue." Leah admitted. "She-"

"Don't you dare put words in her mouth you bitch!" Karla said furiously.

"I'm not lying!" Leah tried to explain. "She didn't want Saint Snow to just up and die!"

"Saint Snow died with her! Besides, what makes you think I'd trust you're telling the truth!?"

"I…"

Leah cut herself off. There was nothing she could do to convince Karla.

"I stuck with Aqours because as people they're good willed. They just can't see a farce when they see it. Still, they saved my life. More specifically, Yoshiko did. I owe it to her to make the most of the chance she gave me. I'll be there to comfort her when some big business inevitably tears them down."

"Do you honestly believe that!?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Karla scowled as she walked closer. "Do you honestly believe that being idols will bring anyone happiness? Fake smiles...bland emotionless songs-"

"If they're so emotionless, why would you want Flora's song to be made into one!?"

"Because Aqours, as naive as they are, still care about making songs they love. It's my best chance at giving Flora's work the fame she deserved...ironic isn't it? The thing I hate the most is what let me bring her works into the spotlight."

"Karla…"

"Don't you dare pity me!" Karla shouted as she grabbed Leah by her shirt's collar. "You're the reason I'm in this place to begin with! You took everything from me! Everything!"

She reeled back her shaking fist, glaring at Leah with grit teeth. Leah turned her head to the side and shut her eyes. She expected Karla to hit her, but after a few seconds of nothing, she opened an eye a slit. Karla stood in the same position, eyebrows furrowed.

"Don't you wimp out on me, fight me damn it!"

Leah shut her eyes again, but instead started to whimper softly.

"Quit crying you little shit and fight me!" Karla commanded. Leah refused to move, letting her body hang limp as she cried.

"I said fight!" Karla yelled as her voice cracked.

"I'm...s-so sorry."

Karla screamed, lunging her fist at Leah. Leah could feel a soft wind blow against her face as Karla's fist stopped short. Opening her eyes, she realized Karla was crying too.

"Come on, damn it…" Karla said in a quiet but strained voice. "...at least try to defend yourself."

Karla let go of Leah and stepped back. She fell to the ground and wept quietly to herself. Leah hunched down next to her.

"What am I even doing? It's this stupid vengeance that got Flora killed in the first place. I know you didn't want to leave us, but I still I...I…"

"I should've told you what Flora told me and Sarah all those years ago." Leah comforted as she rubbed Karla's shoulder gently. "We're at fault here, please don't try bearing this all yourself."

"You don't understand…" Karla said quietly. "There was no mess to begin with. I just made a mountain out of a molehill and lost everything I ever held dear because of my own stupidity! The only hands that Flora's blood is on is my own! I killed my best friend! I killed my…"

"You can't keep blaming yourself for her death!"

"And lie to myself? Nobody's at fault for that but me! I can't live in denial."

"But can you live with that guilt either?"

"..."

"What do you think Flora would tell you if she was here right now?"

"That I'm worthless?"

"Karla, you know she'd never say that."

"But it's true…"

"She'd probably say something like 'When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade' or something like that."

Karla gave a little exhale through her nose as a small smile crept up her face.

"Childishly optimistic as ever." She said with mildly amused sentimentality. "If only I knew what I wanted to do. Working as a manager pays the bills, but that's hardly something I enjoy doing. I may be alive but I'm sure as hell not living."

"Do you want to try being an idol again? I know you've declined before."

"...It doesn't seem like my kind of thing. I know everyone in Aqours feels passionate about it, I wouldn't want to spoil their fun with my pessimistic view of idols."

"But wasn't it us that gave you a pessimistic view of idols in the first place?"

"I just hate those bubbly mainstream songs that throw passionless words to the wind for cash. I listen to darker grittier songs because they help me through the rough patches in life. I can relate to them and remind myself that I'm not suffering alone. I decided to become one of the members of Saint Snow because there was something special about it. It wasn't pop crap, it was genuine metal badassery the likes of which no idol group had ever seen! Half band, half idol, all genuine passion. Aqours is a passion project no doubt, but the songs just aren't my style."

"Then why not give some input?"

"I'm not going to try doing something like that. I'm too vulgar, I'll just come off as being a prick by talking down on all their ideas."

"I'm not telling you to criticize them, Karla. I'm telling you to add your own drop of passion to the pool of Aqours."

"I just told you I'm not going to join!" Karla said frustratedly as she stood up. "Of course I'd love to have adoring fans, but I don't want them to adore me for a cheery persona, I'd want them to adore me for me."

"People still adored us for staying true to what we loved." Leah persuaded. "They loved a metal song that was never intended for the idol world but found its way into it. They loved two metal-heads who found their way into the idol world too, and if they loved us they'll love you."

Karla stayed silent a moment, staring away from Leah out towards the ocean. A few moments later, she turned her head slightly back Leah's direction with uncertainty in her expression.

"You...you really think so? Do you really think someone like me deserves to join something as big as Aqours if I don't even know if I want to be there?"

"We have plenty of practice time before your next show. It could never hurt to try."

"Plenty of time? But everyone was so busy-"

"That was a cover-up."

The strange voice surprised Karla, looking past Leah and seeing a figure standing in the shadows.

"Y-Yoshiko!? How long have you been spying on us?"

"I barely just got here...hey! It's Yohane! Yo-Ha-Ne!"

"Alright, alright. Just...tell me what you mean by 'cover-up'."

"We actually had more than enough time to prepare for the wedding already, and Mari had a harder time finding the perfect location to get married than the actual financial bits."

"Gee, I wonder why." Karla said in a sarcastically joking tone.

"Our next song...we wrote it for you, Karla."

Karla blinked twice, her body completely frozen.

"C-Come again?"

Yoshiko giggled slightly, gesturing for Karla to follow.

"Follow me back to the house. We're about to host a private concert, and you got a VIP seat."

"Yosh- Er, Yohane...why are you all doing this for me? I almost bashed in your skull with a guitar and tried killing myself in front of you. How could I ever deserve this?"

"Do you need a reason to help someone in need?"

Karla exhaled through her nose as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve and smiled.

"You're so weird."

* * *

Karla sat in a chair outside of the main room, twiddling her fingers. Her face didn't show any signs of her being concerned or annoyed, instead having a blank expression as she gazed around. A variety of vague noises from the main room were able to be heard as the other girls set up their performance.

" _Heh, maybe they can convince me to like at least one idol song."_ Karla thought with a smirk. " _Maybe I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and try giving them a smile. They did all this for me after all."_

Her attention snapped back to reality when the butler opened the door to the central hall.

"The preparations are complete." He said with a gentle bow. "Please do come in."

" _I wonder what kind of fluffy thing they've done for me. Maybe some 'don't worry, be happy' sing song."_

Karla's smug look was completely blown off her face as she walked in. Everyone was dressed in beautiful outfits that almost seemed regal. In the center stood Yoshiko in a beautiful blue dress. She smiled down at Karla with her signature Yohane grin.

"Come little demon, the show is just about to begin!" She called out to Karla. "For my little demons of the world, I grace you with this special new song!"

Her grin loosened into a compassionate smile.

"We all need a little push in our lives sometimes. I hope tonight I can help give you that nudge. Please listen to our song, ok?"

Karla was already surprised, but her initial shock was nothing compared to when the song began. Yoshiko began the song with a solo section, astounding Karla with a breathtaking vocal performance. The rest of the world seemed to melt away, sweeping her off her feet on a breeze of song. She kept the same dumbfounded look for the entire song, her eyes wide as she marveled at the song's every detail. Eventually the song ended, everyone paused in a moment of silence with all eyes on Karla. Sarah and Leah stood off to the side, finally turning their heads away from the stage and towards Karla. Much to their surprise, a tear fell down her cheek.

"That was...amazing. I thought it'd be some generic sing song thing, but...I should've put faith in you all. I'm so sorry for treating you like ignorant fools…"

"None of that matters now." Yoshiko said as she stepped down off the stage and walked up to Karla. "All that matters is one question."

Karla hunched her shoulders as she began to cry more joyful tears. Yoshiko extended her hand out to her and smiled.

"Karla...will you accept our invitation to join Aqours?"

* * *

It was all quiet. Karla's father sat upright in his bed and gently closed the book he'd been reading. With a few uncomfortable groans, he weakly placed it back on his bedside table with a shaky hand. He slumped back into his bed afterwards, sighing as he got back to his comfortable recline.

" _That's the last book."_ He thought to himself sadly. " _Karla only just brought these the other day...if I wasn't such a wimp I'd save her the trouble…"_

A faint sound from somewhere in the apartment signaled that Karla had returned home.

" _I'd hate to bother her with asking for more books...maybe I'll reread one so she doesn't feel like she needs to run out and grab me more."_

He heard the sound of her approaching footsteps, stopping in front of his door. Unusually, she paused before asking a question through the door.

"Hey...dad? Are you awake?"

"Yes, sweetheart. Was...work good today?"

"Actually dad, I...I have something I want to tell you."

" _This is all very unlike her. I hope something bad didn't happen."_

He expected the worst, but as she opened the door, his eyes widened in surprise. Karla was wearing a beautiful dress, holding something in her fingers. She walked over to his bedside and handed him something small.

"T-This is...a movie ticket?"

"It's a VIP seat to an idol show." She said as uncontainable happiness spread across her face. "I joined Aqours, dad! I'm going to have a debut concert!"

"But...I thought you said they-"

"I was wrong about them. Aqours isn't about being popular, being rich, none of that! Aqours is something far greater than that, and I'm lucky enough to be considered their 10th member! So please...will you come see my debut performance?"

Her dad lit up, pride exuding from his pale face that hadn't seen joy in so long. He embraced her in a hug which Karla reciprocated.

"Of course I will."

* * *

As Chika stepped out from behind the curtain, the crowd erupted in cheers. She ran out to the front of the stage and shouted into the microphone.

"How's everyone doing tonight!?"

The crowd cheered intensely in response, Chika smiling as she grinned in excitement.

"We've got a super super special show for you all tonight!" Chika said happily. "What's so special you may ask? Weeeeell, I'll get to that in just a moment! First up, I'd like to introduce the other members! First up is my best friend, who loves idols and loves boats even more, You Watanabe!"

You walked up from behind the stage, smiling and waving as the crowd cheered for her and flashed blue lights in support for her. Standing near Chika, she began to speak herself.

"Come set sail with You Watanabe! Yousoro! Ever since we've gotten back together, I've experienced many ups and downs, but I've pulled through and become a better person because of it. So long as the stars shine down on me, my voyage shall never end!"

The crowd cheered as You stepped back and Chika continued.

"Next up, Riko Sakurauchi!"

Riko followed suit, walking up on the opposite side of Chika before starting.

"I got the chance to meet an amazing music teacher recently. She's smart and really kind, even if she might not want to show it. Something I learned with my time with her is that you can't take what you have around you for granted. Everything around you and everyone around you is special, so treasure them!"

Following suit was Hanamaru.

"Not everyone has the luxury of having the close bonds of another, zura. Some people may feel alone or left out, rejected by their peers for many unfortunate reasons. Don't leave them to suffer alone! Just be friends, you never know where it might take you. I know it certainly took me far, zura!"

Next, Ruby.

"I always wanted to step out of my big sister's shadow. She's been such a role model to me, and went through great strife just to keep me happy and safe. It's thanks to her I can now stand on my own two feet. I'm indebted to her, and I'll keep pushing on to make her and everyone else proud!"

Yoshiko followed afterwards.

"Ku ku ku...this energy...I can feel it! The power of a million little demons is calling me onward! Bottling myself up and shying away from what I love will only harm me in the long run. Maybe some people find the whole 'little demon' thing strange, but I'm ok with that because I know that I won't hold any of my love and passion back!"

Following in long strides was Kanan.

"I'm Kanan Matsuura. This year may have just been the most important year of my life, it's hard to describe it in few words. What I can tell you is that I'll be married to the love of my life and still be an idol all the same! Aqours is truly a one of a kind group, I'll tell you that. Even in the darkest of times, we always seem to find a way to make miracles happen. That's just the magic of it, isn't it?"

Kanan was interrupted as Mari came up from behind and gave her a playful grope.

"Ooh! Magical!~" Mari said in broken English.

"I'll sue you." Kanan replied, much to the audience's amusement.

"Haiii!~ I'm Mari Ohara! Creator of the shiniest stew on Earth, 9th member of Aqours and Kanan's soon to be wife!~ I agree with Kanan too, so much has happened in the course of one year I can hardly believe it. I had hoped we could get back together as a far-fetched dream, but with everyone's input we actually made my dream become a reality! To each and everyone here, thank you from the bottom of my heart!"

"You're so rambunctious, Mari." Dia said with a sigh as she walked onstage. The crowd erupted with applause as Dia made her way up front with the others.

"My name is Dia Kurosawa, Ruby's doting older sister and a proud member of Aqours. Sometimes it seems even I get in over my head, and I lost my leg because of it. I've seen Ruby grow into such a lovely young woman over the course of my life, and I couldn't be prouder of her. I won't hover over her any longer, instead I shall walk beside her, once again an idol of Aqours!"

The stream of cheers lasted for a while as Chika stood gazing out across a sea of loving fans. She smiled, tapping her microphone to signal the crowd to quiet down for her next line.

"This isn't it yet everyone. I have one last surprise for everyone." Chika paused for dramatic effect before stepping to the side. "I have a very special person I'd like you to meet. Say hello to Karla!"

Karla pushed aside the curtain and began to walk out onto the stage. The crown cheered, but most people seemed unsure of what to think. As she stood at the front of the stage, Karla raised the microphone to her mouth. The audience was quiet.

"U-Um-" Karla started, her voice causing the mic to peak awkwardly. "My name's Karla, and I'll be joining Aqours as their 10th member…"

Karla stopped speaking. Her mind was pulling a blank. She looked out across the expecting crowd, her lip quivering nervously. Her brief moment of distress was interrupted as Yoshiko tapped her on the shoulder.

"Just be yourself, ok?" She whispered to her before running back to her spot. Karla nodded, turning forward confidently.

"I never thought of myself as anyone special or deserving of praise. My stupid antics hurt my friends...and one of them is no longer with us because of that. Sometimes I'd wake up and wonder if there was really any point in even getting up in the morning...but my friends always have done their best to support and push me onward. I have Yoshiko to thank especially...in more than one way, she saved my life."

Karla stepped forward, standing proud in front of her dad who was sitting in the front row.

"That's why I'm going to do everything I can to make the best out of the chance they've given me! It's ok to admit you're hurting, because deep down we all have our issues. One day, you all can achieve great things, and I'll be able to make you all proud! Who's with me!?"

Karla ended her speech with a fist thrust skyward. The crowd was silent for a moment, staring up at Karla who kept her fist held high. Then, a fist rose to the sky with hers. Her father's. He stood up out of his seat, pride exuding from every inch of his body. Karla smiled as tears began to form in her eyes. A wave of fists and cheers flooded the audience, sending an uproar of support her way. Karla let her tears run free, a bright smile running across her face.

"Everyone...thank you! Thank you so much! I won't let you down!"

Everyone gathered together in the center of the stage, creating an 'L' with their fingers.

"Are you ready everyone!?" Chika called out to everyone in the group. "Let's give them a show they won't ever forget! Everybody ready?"

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

"Four!"

"Five!"

"Six!"

"Seven!"

"Eight!"

"Nine!"

"Ten!"

"For now and for the future...for our radiance we fought so hard to find!" Chika called out. "Aqours!"

" **SUUUUUUNNNSHIIIIIIIINNNEEEEEE!"**


	25. Chapter 25 (FINALE): Our Miracle

Chapter 25: Our Miracle

Walking down the road, Chika looked to the bright sky above her. The bright morning sun cast a warm glow across everything in sight, bathing it in light. Hands in her pockets, she walked wordlessly alone looking up at the bright scenery. Eventually, she walked up to the front of Uranohoshi. The sign still remained as faded as it had been the day she decided to become an idol again, but somehow with the brightness of the morning sun it almost seemed to glow.

" _Reminds me of the first day I came to this school."_ Chika reminisced. Looking at the schoolyard, she could almost re-imagine her first meeting with the first years. She stood for a moment staring, eventually smiling and turning away.

* * *

As Chika opened the door to the studio, a voice called to her.

"Chika-chan! Come check this out!" You called. "We got a bunch of fan mail!"

"Really?" Chika said excitedly. "Sorry to keep you all waiting!"

"I would have woken you up earlier," Riko said. "But you were sleeping so soundly I couldn't think to wake you!"

"Heheh, well Mito certainly thought to."

"You really shouldn't rely on your sibling to wake yourself up." Dia scolded lightly. "It's important to set a schedule for yourself."

"Yeah, yeah…" Chika said as she rubbed her head.

"By the way, I already read mine since I'll be going somewhere this morning." Riko said.

"Really? Where's that?"

"Oh, just to a cafe with a friend."

A knocking came on the door, alerting the group as Riko stood up. As she stepped out of the meeting room, her face lit up as she opened her arms. Much to Chika's surprise, her hug was returned by someone unexpected.

"U-Umi!?" Chika said aloud in surprise.

"Huh? Didn't Riko tell you I was Lisa?" Umi replied in surprise.

"Wait, you're Lisa!?" Chika replied in even more surprise.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you all." Riko said as she rubbed the back of her head.

"How could you have missed something as big as this!?" Dia scolded Chika as her voice cracked. "This is living proof that Umi isn't dead! One of the original 3 members of μ's!"

"I-Is she ok?" Umi asked Riko.

"Yeah, she's just a bit of a μ's fanatic."

"She cried for 3 straight days when she thought you'd died, no exaggeration." Ruby added in.

"I'm really sorry about that whole mess." Umi apologized.

"It's okay!" Dia said as she grabbed Umi's hands, a fanatic twinkle in her eyes. "I'm just glad you're alive!"

"Dia, please try to restrain yourself." Riko said as she waved her hands in front of her.

"S-Sorry, I lost my composure there for a second."

"No kidding." You poked fun at.

"Hey, how come you hit your identity to begin with?" Chika asked.

"Well it's a long story, but in short, I fell in love with being an idol so much I couldn't bring myself to return to my rigid life from before. I went out on my own to get back the freedom I'd lost all those years ago, but in the end I only secluded myself."

"Getting back what you'd lost, huh?" Chika thought aloud as she looked off into space.

"Anyway, we should get going." Riko said with a wave. "We're going to grab some breakfast at a local place. See you all later!"

Everyone waved them goodbye as they headed out the front door. You leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"If Yoshiko had gotten here yet, we'd have started opening the fan mail." She said. "Should we keep waiting or no?"

"Riko already opened hers." Hanamaru said. "Yoshiko was late, so she'll have to deal with it, zura."

"Should we try calling her?" Chika asked.

"I'm sure she'll be fine, besides, I left that little phone guidebook you made for me at home so I doubt I'd be able to, zura."

"Alright then, let's start sorting them!" Chika said as she began to separate them into piles by name.

"Whoa! There's so many letters for me!" You said in surprise.

"You always get the most letters, zura."

"I mean yeah, but even this is a bit more than usual!"

"Actually I think there's more than usual for all of us!" Chika said happily. "Everyone must've loved the show!"

"Well it certainly wasn't your average show." Dia commented. "For one, everyone was worried I'd be gone from the group permanently. For another, we got Karla to add to our ranks!"

"Heh, I did my best." Karla said as she rubbed the back of her head. "I'm just glad my dad's been doing better."

"Well you can save your thanks for Yoshiko once she actually shows up, zura."

"There's something poetic about a girl with such bad luck bringing you good luck." You joked.

"Heh, maybe."

Outside the room came the sound of panting and footsteps. Yoshiko ran up to the doorframe of the meeting room and caught her breath.

"Speak of the literal devil." Karla teased. "It's about time you showed up."

"My alarm got unplugged so I overslept, sorry!" She said as she panted.

"How do you accidentally unplug your clock?" Karla wondered aloud.

"She's Yoshiko, zura."

"Yo-ha-ne!"

"Just read your letters you goofball."

Everyone began to read their fan letters, taking turns reading aloud their piles. You went first, taking a solid 30 minutes to read through all of her letters. By the end of it, she still didn't seem fatigued.

"And that's the last one! Sorry I took so long!"

"People really like you, don't they?" Karla said as she rested her head in her hand.

"I don't know why, but I seem to be pretty popular." She said, embarrassed.

"Should I read mine next?" Chika asked.

"By all means." You said.

"Ok, let's start with...this one!"

Chika went through various letters, all of which sang their praises and adoration of her. Eventually, Chika got down to her last letter.

"Me? Like Honoka? That's absurd, I can't really compare to her."

"You're both leaders of famous idol groups and have orange hair." Ruby pointed out.

"Yeah, but you get what I mean. Besides, me and Honoka are two different people. I stopped concerning myself with chasing after her image long ago."

"And look at how far you've come." Dia said encouragingly.

"Well, it wasn't just me after all."

Chika began to open her last letter, which lacked any name to refer to the writer behind it. Chika looked at it confused, reading it aloud.

"Dear Chika, I've been watching you ever since you won your first ever Love Live. I may never meet you in person, but your story hit quite close to home. The way your group came together to make something truly amazing happen took my breath away! Ever since you came back, I can't help but feel like my spirit has been lifted too! I truly wish you the best, one Love Live winner to another! Love, one of your biggest fans."

"Another...Love Live winner?" You said in shock.

"They said I hit close to home for them...do you think they also fought to save their school?"

Dia and Ruby stood up out of their seats and made a mad dash around to see the letter for themselves.

"Let me read that real quick!" Dia said as she ran her eyes up and down the paper intensely.

"Oh my god...oh my god…" Dia said in complete shock. "...This handwriting...it's...it's…"

Chika's eyes widened.

"It's a letter from...Honoka?"

Dia nodded her head intensely with a massive smile across her face, every ounce of her energy visibly being used to contain her excitement. Ruby reacted in an equal fashion, trying her best to contain a squeal of excitement. Chika stared at the letter without a single word, unsure of how to react. Eventually her look softened to a sweet smile as she placed it down on the table.

"Why do you think she didn't sign her name?" You asked.

"I don't really know for sure...but maybe she wanted this to be something only we could know. A small little nudge forward."

"I think that previous letter was right about you Chika." Karla added.

"Huh?"

"You've helped give us a gentle nudge forward to become things we never thought we could. I can see that behavior in every other Aqours member too."

"You...really think so?" Chika said as she blushed.

"Hey, how often do I give compliments?" She joked.

"Thanks Karla, that makes me feel really nice."

"N-No problem, I'm just stating what I think." She said as she looked away with a blush of her own.

"And here I thought THIS would be our big highlight of the day." Dia said as she pulled out a letter. "Kanan and Mari sent us a postcard from their honeymoon."

Dia laid it down on the table so they could all get a good look at it. The front showed a beautiful ocean view while Kanan princess carried Mari. Kanan wore a stunning tuxedo, Mari wearing a beautiful white dress.

"Wow, Kanan looks really slick in a tux!" You said.

"Mari's dress is so detailed, I can't imagine how long it took to design!" Ruby commented.

Dia flipped over the postcard and read the back of it.

"We're having a blast at Mari's private island, I hope you're all having fun! We'll tell you all about our trip when we get back, keep up the awesome work! Love, Kanan & Mari."

Next to their names were two lip marks, one for each of the two of them.

"I've never even seen Kanan wear lipstick." Dia said in amused surprise. "I have to admit, the light blue kind of suits her."

"You know Dia, it was always the three of you growing up. Does it feel strange being the only one of the three not married?" Chika asked.

"Admittedly, sort of." Dia responded. "But it doesn't bother me. I'm just happy that the two of them got together. After all, they are still my closest friends."

"Well you aren't scratching your mole so you definitely aren't lying." Yoshiko said.

"Is it really that hard to believe?" Dia asked rhetorically. "I do care a lot about those two after all."

The rest of the group went through their cards, Dia patting Ruby on the head as she read her fan mail excitedly. Last but not least, it was Karla's turn.

"I'm surprised I got as many letters as I did." She said bashfully. "I would've figured I wouldn't have had the best reception, but I guess I did decent enough out there."

Karla read through most of her letters, smiling in a very un-Karla like way at the love for her from the Aqours' fans. When she was down to her last few letters, she noticed a strange stamp on the corner of a letter.

"Is that...a US stamp?" She asked. The others walked over, indeed confirming it was a US flag sticker on the corner.

"Hey! It seems you got some international fans too!" Chika said.

"Read that one next! See who it's by!" You said.

Karla slid the envelope out from under the others, the name "Karla" printed on the front. Karla sat staring at it for a moment, squinting her eyes.

"Something the matter?" Dia asked.

"O-Oh, it's nothing." Karla stammered. "It's probably my imagination."

She opened up the letter, finding a folded piece of paper and a photograph turned face down inside.

"Is this…" Karla began as she opened up the letter. Her eyes darted immediately to the bottom of the letter, seeing a name signed at the bottom of the page. Yoshiko and Karla's eyes widened.

"Karla that's-" Yoshiko began, only to be cut off.

"REINA!" Karla shouted as she began to read aloud, gripping the paper in her hands. "Hi Karla, I happened to hear about you joining Aqours and all that. I won't lie, it brought a tear to my eye to see you finally getting to live the life you wanted to live. Somehow, I feel this is the dream you've looked for after all these years. I'm sorry for leaving you, and I must admit I may never see you again. I've moved to the state of California in the US, where I'll be studying Environmental Sciences. Whatever may come, I wish you the best and I'm grateful for everything you did for me and Flora. Thank you for everything, Reina."

She put down the letter, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Oh Reina…"

"Wait, you still have that picture! What is it?" Yoshiko said to her. "Flip it over!"

"Y-Yeah, alright." Karla said as she reached for it. As she flipped it over, her eyes widened and let a tear drip quickly down her face. It was a picture of Flora, Reina and Karla from when they first got their instruments. They all made peace signs, Karla hugging them in the middle with her arms wrapped around the other two. Karla smiled reminiscently at the picture before wiping her eyes again.

"Can...can I have a moment to myself for a bit?" Karla asked.

"By all means." Chika said as she began to walk out of the room. "How long do you want?"

"I might need a bit, I'm not upset but it's...a lot to digest."

"That's fine, we'll just do other things in the meantime."

She looked back over her shoulder as she left, looking at Karla. She was holding the beloved photo from her childhood, smiling to herself.

"Hey Chika, what do you want to do in the meantime?" You asked.

"I think I'll go for a little walk. Just wanted to think about some things."

"No worries. We'll all be here when you get back!"

Chika waved them goodbye, walking out of the studio and into the cool winter day.

* * *

Walking down the street, Chika stared out at the ocean. The sun reflected off the water, making it shimmer beautifully. Chika couldn't help but smile.

" _Somehow I can't help but feel like we've come a long way. Our newly reformed Aqours feels more mature than what we used to be, and as tough as it's been we've all improved our lives for the better. We even got ourselves a new member this late into our story. It's a miracle we came this far...but it's an amazing one."_

As she approached a dock along the road she was walking on, she noticed a figure standing at the end of the dock. She was singing softly to herself, but the ocean air blew her soft words to Chika. Her trance was broken by the sound of seagulls calling above, making her approach the girl. Chika stood there a moment, taking in the beauty of the song. Chika was taken in by her song, a feather drifting down and landing by the girl's feet. Eventually the girl finished, turning around in surprise as Chika clapped lightly.

"That's a beautiful song."

"A-Ah! Oh, it's really nothing. I was just singing to myself…"

"Have you tried singing in a group or with an event or anything?"

"Sorta...it's a bit silly though."

"There's nothing wrong with singing!" Chika said encouragingly. "I'm actually an idol, and singing lets me open up to whole audiences of people to let them know how I feel! I don't even get nervous once I'm out there, I just love and enjoy it!"

The girl giggled a bit to herself, amused by Chika's dramatic expressions as she encouraged.

"Did I say something funny?"

"No, no, sorry. It's just...you seem so enthusiastic about it."

"So how about it? Do you want to try being an idol?"

"Actually, I...I already am."

"You are!? I wish you the best then!"

"Thanks, we're only just staring as school idols but I hope we can make our dreams come true someday."

"I'm sure they will." Chika said, holding her hands. "Just keep going and I'm sure one day you'll make the most out of it!"

"Thanks...I don't know what to say...I'm a bit embarrassed to be honest."

"Hey, what's your group called? I'll check your performances out if I can!"

"W-Well we don't really have a name yet…"

"You don't?"

Yeah, but I can at least tell you my name if you're that interested."

Chika's eyes widened for a moment, noticing the glow of the water seeming to almost illuminate the girl in spectacularly bright light. She put a hand on her chest and gave Chika a smile.

"I'm Ayumu. Ayumu Uehara."

 **THE END**

Author's Note:

Thank you to everyone who's stuck with me for this fanfic. In the span of over a year it took me to write this in full, I feel I've improved as a writer immensely. Although this wasn't a perfect story by any means and lacked thematic elements from time to time, I learned a lot of what makes a story good and how to make better written stories down the line. There was certainly things that could've been done better, Ruby farting as a plot point for instance. I felt that would've been much more natural if Timothy wanted a kiss instead. There was also some other issues, such as Kanan's arc lasting too long and Chika/Hanamaru lacking a lot development. On the upside, Karla was probably the best thing to come out of this story. The whole point of this story was to take the personalities from the original series and expand upon them with much more mature themes that Love Live's rating wouldn't allow for. Karla is a character that wouldn't exist in the actual Love Live universe, what with her constant cursing and darker story arcs. As for my upload schedule, I've been reduced to about one chapter a month because of workload and me also having a YouTube channel. However, I've decided that going on, to prevent stories from taking too long to complete or containing too much fluff, I'll post shorter chapters every 2-3 weeks. If you have any final feedback on my fic overall, I'd love to hear your critiques! I'll also most likely include significantly shorter Author's Notes at the end of chapters from time to time for clarifications or other tidbits. Thank you all so much for reading and I hope to see you all next fic!


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